Gladiators reboot plagued by 'nepotism' claims but fans are loving the 'nostalgia'

BBC One's revival of beloved gameshow Gladiators seems to have divided opinion on social media after premiering this weekend.

Hosted by father-and-son duo Bradley and Barney Walsh, who previously collaborated on the ITV road trip series Breaking Dad, this 2024 version of Gladiators takes the 'if it ain't broken, don't fix it' approach to the tournament format, which sees contestants making their way through a gruelling collection of physical trials.

In each episode, two male and two female challengers must face off against the show's resident Gladiators - the new cast includes Athena, Dynamite, Bionic and Phantom - across five strength and speed events in a bid to accumulate as many points as they can, which prove vital in the subsequent round.

Next comes the final eliminator; a one-on-one obstacle course contested by the civilians themselves, leading to quarter-final and semi-final stages before the grand final for each gender category.

So, with the opening episode in the bag, what were viewers posting on X?

Thumbs-up

"Loving the new #Gladiators as someone who went to see the original show in Birmingham many years ago. Liking Giant, Legend's gym bro energy and the fact they kept commentary for the eliminator," wrote one individual as the action played out.

Another bunch of fans reacted: "Anyone else enjoy #Gladiators last night. Wasn't planning on watching but got sucked [in]. They kept the theme tune so I knew it was going to be fun and a bit daft", "I love the new series of #Gladiators. It's kept the right amount of nostalgia while also keeping it fresh. Entertained the whole way through and love @BradleyWalsh and Barney Walsh as hosts. Glad the new Gladiators have a sense of humour too" and "NOW THIS IS A SHOW THAT DESERVES TO BE TRENDING #Gladiators What a banger."

"Delighted to see it's kept all the good stuff, they haven't messed with the format, and that there's a Wolf-equivalent this time, too! Love those brief locker-room moments; nice addition to a show's that's got a good heart", "Loved the #Gladiators reboot. Hopefully this generation will come to love it as much as us 90's kids did. #Viper as the new pantomime villain like Wolf was a decent touch" and "Watched #Gladiators last night. LOVED IT!!! So nostalgic and my sons thought it was ace," read three more first impressions.

The reboot's preservational qualities really shone through on the night, with someone else raving: "Really appreciated how close to the original #Gladiators was last night, grew up watching that show weekly and would've been gutted if the BBC messed it up by 'modernising' it!"

Complaints

On the flip side of these celebrations, the younger Walsh's involvement emerged as a particular point of frustration for many people watching at home.

"With the focus on DEI [diversity, equality and inclusion] surely the @bbc charter should be putting an end to nepotism??? It's rife in the media world. Yes, I have been watching #Gladiators" and "#Gladiators I don't necessarily loathe Nepotism. But I wish it wasn't so dull. Swap out the nepobaby for, say Emma Willis or AJ Odudu and we're cooking wit' gas," argued two X users.

"The show is so obviously framed to promote fair play, equality and positivity. So why on earth is Bradley Walsh's son taking the role of a female presenter? #Nepotism?", "Why have we got such nepotism on the #Gladiators @bbc? We don't need two Walshes!" and "Massive congrats to the BBC for not caving to woke pressure to hire a #Gladiators presenter on the basis of gender, race, etc and instead hiring a young white guy with no experience on the basis that the other presenter is his dad. Nepotism, the greatest of the British values!" read some more critiques.

Walsh Snr wasn't completely home and dry, though, with one Gladiators viewer stressing: "I just don't get the appeal of Bradley Walsh #gladiators he's on TV so much, complete saturation. I just don't find him funny or entertaining at all. Good luck to him. But come on TV casting directors give some fresh talent a chance. The nepotism isn't a good look either @BBCOne."

Gladiators resumes next Saturday (20 January) on BBC One.

Read more:

• Gladiators host Bradley Walsh's bond with son and trials of working together

• Which are the easiest UK game shows to win?

• The Chase's Anne Hegerty reveals Bradley Walsh's most annoying habit

Watch: Ulrika Jonsson complained about Gladiators leaving out cheerleaders in the reboot