Gladiators Ready! Jet, Wolf And Lightning Among Stars Reuniting For ITV Show

Gladiator renion/ITV

Prepare the giant foam fingers, and prime Queen’s Another One Bites The Dust for some optimum stereo time!

More than 15 years since they wowed fans with their sterling displays of stamina, our favourite Gladiators are reuniting in a two-part ITV special.

And all those Saturday nights spent clambering up walls, swinging through rings and duelling with Pugil sticks may have paid off for the team, judging by their youthful appearances in a new video preview.

Jet (Diane Youdale, top) and Lightning (Kim Betts) now and then/ITV

Lightning, Jet, Wolf, Ace, Hunter and Saracen join Ulrika Jonsson at the NEC Birmingham Arena, with Ulrika even reuniting with her ex-boyfriend James Crossley (Hunter) with a big hug.

“For me this is really, really nostalgic because the Gladiators was a huge part of my life,” said Ulrika. “I haven’t been back here [to the arena] since, I guess it must have been 1999, so it feels very strange.”

Since the show ended, Lightning (Kim Betts) has run a range of businesses including a farm and a beauty parlour while glamorous Jet (Diane Youdale) became a psychotherapist after being forced to retire from the arena with a neck injury.

Hunter (James Crossley, top) and Wolf (Michael Van Wijk) now and then/ITV

Still packing a punch with a set of impressive biceps, Ace (Warren Furman) became an evangelist who “now teaches others about Christianity,” and Saracen (Mike Lewis) is a firefighter, although the 51-year-old recently made a comeback attempt in ITV show Ninja Warrior.

Most unsurprisingly, fitness fanatic Wolf (Michael Van Wijk) - many fans’ most memorable Gladiator - runs a chain of gyms in New Zealand and has flown across the world for the show.

Ace (Warren Furman, top) and Saracen (Mike Lewis) now and then

“He’s amazing,” sighs Ulrika as the 63-year-old brandishes his rock hard six pack while referee John Anderson jokingly gives him a red card.

As well as The Gladiator reunion, The Saturday Night Story looks back at some of ITV’s best-loved prime-time programmes shows with interviews with Ant & Dec, Vernon Kay, Bruce Forsyth and Dermot O'Leary.

The Saturday Night Story starts Saturday 15th August on ITV at 8pm.

Ulrika Jonsson/ITV