Bradley Walsh follows in wife’s footsteps with son Barney as new Gladiators hosts

The return of Gladiators to Saturday night television will be a family affair, with Bradley Walsh and his son announced as the new hosts.

The BBC is reviving the show, which originally ran on ITV from 1992-2000.

Walsh and his son, Barney, “will bring their charm, wit and on-screen chemistry” to the series, said the broadcaster.

The family link runs back to the original show - Walsh’s wife, Donna Derby, was head choreographer for the Gladiators’ cheerleaders.

“I can’t believe that I’ve been asked to be part of this iconic show. I used to sit backstage, or in the audience, every week watching my wife be part of this juggernaut,” said Walsh, who also recalled Barney taking some of his first steps on the arena floor as a toddler.

The 11-part series will air later this year and is billed as “the ultimate test of speed and strength”.

Charlotte Moore, the BBC’s chief content officer, has defended the decision to bring back an old show, saying Gladiators would be reinvented for a new generation.

‘Real impact with young audiences’

“I don’t think it’s that easy to bring titles back and be successful - it actually takes a lot of creativity,” she said.

“If you’re going to have a real impact with young audiences, having these big titles will really help create that impact.”

The first two Gladiators have also been unveiled. Jodie Ounsley, a professional rugby player for Exeter Chiefs and five-times World Coal Carrying Champion, will compete under the name Fury.

She too has a family connection to Gladiators. Her father was a contender on the show in 2008, when it was briefly revived by Sky, and Ounsley said she had “been training to outdo him ever since”.

Ounsley was named Deaf Sports Personality of the Year in 2020 and has built up a large following on TikTok, where she raises awareness of deafness. She is also a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu champion.

Zack George, who will perform under the name Steel, was named the UK’s Fittest Man by CrossFit in 2020.

On social media, he shares his story of being a severely overweight child before beginning to exercise. “I was inspired by the Gladiators as a child, but never imagined I’d be physically fit enough to be considered a ‘superhuman’.

“I hope a new generation of fans will look up to me as their new, strong, unbreakable hero, Steel,” he said.