February 1st 2025.
Are you ready to take a trip down memory lane? Let's revisit the iconic show that captured our hearts in the 90s - Gladiators! This popular competition featured a group of strong and skilled athletes known as Gladiators, who faced off against regular contestants in a series of challenging games. The show was a huge hit and ran from 1992 to 2000, with host Ulrika Jonsson at the helm.
Fast forward to last year, and a whole new generation of Gladiators made their debut on the BBC after being off our TV screens for over two decades. This reboot of the show was a huge success, and now, in its second season, we have father-son duo Bradley and Barney Walsh as the presenters.
The new Gladiators, with names like Apollo and Dynamite, have already won over fans with their impressive skills and intense training regimes. And this year, we have two more stars joining the cast - Cyclone and Hammer, who will surely bring even more excitement to the show. But what about the original line-up? What are they up to now? Let's find out.
Ace, also known as Warren Furman, joined Gladiators in 1996 and was engaged to Katie Price from 1996 to 1998. Since his time on the show, the now 51-year-old has found religion and devotes himself to being a "Gladiator for the gospel." He currently lives in York with his wife and children and runs a gospel choir. In a recent interview, he even mentioned that he prays for his former fiancée, Katie Price.
Cobra, whose real name is Michael Willson, first appeared on Gladiators in 1992. His kickboxing and boxing skills proved to be a valuable asset on the show. After Gladiators ended, he competed in the Springbok Challenge against South Africa and has since become a motivational speaker in schools and youth clubs. He also opened up about the party lifestyle on the show, admitting that he was often "bleeding drunk" during filming.
James Crossley, also known as Hunter, was a fan favorite from series two until series eight. In a recent interview, he described his experience on the show as "amazing." He even dated host Ulrika Jonsson in 1996 and won the title of Ultimate Gladiator in a spin-off series. After leaving the show, he pursued a career in the theatre and now runs a sound therapist school. You may also recognize him from his appearance on Channel 4's The Circle.
Jet, whose real name is Diane Youdale, was a part of Gladiators for four and a half years before a spinal injury ended her time on the show in 1996. Since then, she has become a teacher, psychotherapist, and pilates instructor. Last year, Diane revealed that she got married in a secret ceremony after meeting her partner at their local Tesco. However, the couple has recently split.
Kim Betts, also known as Lightening, was a force to be reckoned with on the show. She even competed in the show's final while three weeks pregnant and only lost once. Since her time on Gladiators, she has become a successful businesswoman, investing in a beauty parlour and a fishery. She is also known as the "Queen of Hang Tough" and continues to maintain her fitness regime.
Michael Van Wijk, also known as Wolf, made headlines when he appeared as contestant number 72 on the popular Netflix show, Squid Game. Before his appearance on Gladiators, Michael owned several gyms. These days, he owns Wolf's Gym in Auckland, New Zealand, and continues to compete in Jiu Jitsu championships.
Eunice Huthart, also known as Blaze, had a successful career after leaving Gladiators. She won the show as a contestant in 1994 and was later asked to return as a Gladiator in 1995. She was then scouted by James Bond producers to work as a stunt double in GoldenEye, which led to more opportunities in Hollywood. She has worked extensively as Angelina Jolie's stunt double and has also trained actors for movies like Star Wars.
Panther, also known as Sharron Davies, opened a fashion shop with her co-stars Vogue and Saracen after leaving the show in 1996. During her time on the show, she suffered a serious neck and back injury, but she continues to stay active by running her own gym in West London.
Mark Smith, also known as Rhino, has had a successful acting career after his time on Gladiators. He has appeared in popular shows like EastEnders and Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tide. He also played a part in the hit movie, The Enforcer.
Jefferson King, also known as Shadow, was thrown off Gladiators in 1995 after being caught taking steroids. He later revealed that he started taking drugs at a young age but did not use them during his time on the show. Unfortunately, in 2021, he was jailed for his involvement in a blackmail plot over a drugs debt.
Finally, Mike Ahearne, also known as Warrior, was jailed in 1998. He was a part of the show from 1995 until its cancellation in 1999. After Gladiators, he pursued an acting career and has appeared in popular shows like EastEnders and Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tide.
Here's everything you need to know about the new generation of Gladiators who have recently made their debut on the BBC. After more than two decades off our TV screens, the successful 90s hit has returned with a second season of the reboot, once again hosted by father-son duo Bradley and Barney Walsh. The original show, fronted by Ulrika Jonsson, ran from 1992 until 2000 and has now been revived with a fresh line-up of competitors.
Last year, we saw the likes of Apollo and Dynamite step into the arena for the first time, revealing their intense training regimes and the brutal injuries they have sustained. This year, two new stars have joined the cast - Cyclone and Hammer - showcasing their super strength and impressive skills. But what about the original Gladiators? Here's everything you need to know about where they are now.
Ace, also known as Warren Furman, joined the show in 1996 and even got engaged to Katie Price during that time. Since then, the now 51-year-old has found religion and describes himself as a "Gladiator for the gospel." He currently lives in York with his family and runs a gospel choir. In a recent interview, he shared that he now prays for his former fiancée, who is now a well-known glamour model.
Michael Willson, also known as Cobra, first appeared on the show in 1992, using his kickboxing and boxing skills to his advantage. After Gladiators, he competed in the Springbok Challenge against South Africa and became a motivational speaker in schools and youth clubs. In a 2019 interview, the now 60-year-old opened up about the drinking and party lifestyle on the show, admitting that he was often "bleeding drunk" while filming. He has since been out of the limelight and faced a health scare in 2019 when he was seriously ill with pneumonia.
James Crossley, who played Hunter from series two until series eight, recently described his experience on the show as "amazing." The bodybuilder and actor even dated host Ulrika Jonsson in 1996 and went on to win the title of Ultimate Gladiator in a 1999 spin-off series. After leaving the show in 2000, he pursued a career in theatre and now runs a sound therapist school. He also appeared on the third series of Channel 4's The Circle.
Diane Youdale, also known as Jet, was on Gladiators for four and a half years before a spinal injury forced her to quit the show in 1996. Since then, the now 53-year-old has become a teacher and qualified as a psychotherapist and pilates instructor. She also got married in a secret ceremony last year after meeting her partner in a local Tesco store, but they have since split.
Kim Betts, known as Lightening on the show, gave birth to her son just three weeks before competing on Gladiators in 1999. She became known as the "Queen of Hang Tough" and was only beaten once during her time on the show. After leaving, she became a successful businesswoman, investing in a beauty parlour and a fishery. She also spent 15 years developing property and has proven that she is still keeping up with her intense training regime.
Wolf, also known as Michael Van Wijk, made a surprising appearance on Netflix's hit show Squid Game, more than 20 years after he starred on Gladiators. Before his time on the show, Michael owned several gyms and now owns Wolf's Gym in Auckland, New Zealand. He also became a cage-fighter and competed in Jiu Jitsu championships.
Eunice Huthart, also known as Blaze, had an interesting career after leaving Gladiators, leaving the show behind for a career in Hollywood. After competing as a contestant and then a Gladiator on the show, she was scouted by James Bond producers to work as a stunt double in GoldenEye. She went on to work extensively as Angelina Jolie's double on films like Wanted and Mr. & Mrs. Smith. She also trained the cast of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.
Panther, whose real name is currently unknown, set up a fashion shop with her co-stars Vogue and Saracen after leaving the show in 1996. She sustained a serious neck and back injury during a fall on the tilt event, but has since opened her own gym in West London called Panthers Gym.
Mark Smith, who played Rhino on the show from 1995 to 1999, has since had a successful acting career. The now 54-year-old has appeared in shows like EastEnders, Robin Hood, and Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides.
Jefferson King, also known as Shadow, was removed from Gladiators in 1995 after being caught using steroids. He later admitted to starting drugs at the age of 17 but claims he did not use Class A drugs during his time on the show. In 2021, he was jailed for his involvement in a blackmail plot over a drugs debt.
Mike Ahearne, also known as Warrior, was jailed in 1998 after leaving the show. The now 71-year-old previously owned several gyms and currently resides in New Zealand.
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