Gladiators' 'Wolf' now - Squid Game role, real age and life after show
Gladiators is returning to our screens this weekend and new contestants will be taking on classic challenges as well as new games. The famous game show originally aired in 1992 before finishing in 2000.
After a brief return for one year in 2008, and a 2024 series, the show will now come to BBC One and be hosted by Bradley Walsh and son Barney. The show returns tonight, Saturday 18, and none of the original gladiators are expected to return to their roles.
The second series in the revival of the show sees the return of Sabre, Legend, Nitro, Diamond, Phantom, Athena, Bionic, Fire, Giant, Dynamite, Viper, Electro, Apollo, Comet, Steel and Fury as they face of contenders in five brutal events before going head-to-head in the final Eliminator.
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The producers have brought back an event from the original series, Atlaspheres. The contenders and gladiators are inside huge metal hamster balls and the contenders need to roll themselves over set points in the arena to score points, whilst the gladiators smash into them to try to stop them.
One of the main figures on the original run of the show was "baddie" Wolf, now 71. He's said to have appeared in every episode that aired from 1992 to 2000. The bodybuilder now lives in in New Zealand after emigrating to the country with his family years ago.
Michael Van Wijk has four children with his wife Paula and is said to have a holiday home in the coastal city of Auckland. He told the Independent that he's in the gym every day, discussing his routine, he said: "I get up in the morning, I walk my dogs, I have my breakfast and I go to the gym."
The former gladiator said he works with people in their thirties and forties because those his age "wouldn't handle it". He added that "only the younger ones" can keep up because he uses very heavy weights.
There was speculation that Michael had competed on Squid Game: The Challenge in 2023. Netflix tweeted a photo of contestant 172, and teased: "4.56 million (imaginary) dollars to anyone who spotted this iconic '90s villain." They seemingly confirmed that it was him, writing back to one fan in November "Wolf!"