ITV viewers were spellbound for eight action-packed seasons in the 1990s as a team of elite Gladiators battled it out with keen contestants, demonstrating their agility, strength, and stamina.
These sports stars took on warrior names such as Jet, Hunter, Scorpio, and Lightning. One Gladiator, however, known to the audience as Wolf, and behind the scenes as Michael Van Wijk, quickly became a fan favourite.
Michael recently revealed his views on being left out of the BBC’s reboot of the series. The original show aired on ITV, but in 2023 the announcement came that Gladiators was set to make a comeback on BBC.
The series refresh in 2024 surprised fans by replacing former hosts Ulrika Jonsson and John Fashanu with the much-loved TV pair Bradley and Barney Walsh, reports Express.
In conversation with the Press Agency previously, Michael disclosed his thoughts on the obvious separation from the past series, remarking: “I think they decided from the get-go that they would have nothing to do with the old show or nothing to do with any of the people. It was just (going to be a) completely new format, completely their way of doing it.”
He pondered over the decision’s rationale, speculating: “I suppose because (it is airing on) the BBC and it was ITV, they just want to be completely separate. That’s just my personal opinion.”
The first series of the Gladiators reboot was a hit with audiences, both seasoned fans and newcomers alike. Now, the BBC is gearing up for the second series, set to air on Saturday night. Viewers will be thrilled to see the return of superhuman Gladiators Sabre, Legend, Nitro, Diamond, Phantom, and Athena. Also making a comeback to the arena are Bionic, Fire, Giant, Dynamite, Viper, Electro, Apollo, Comet, Steel, and Fury.
Despite the fresh faces joining the fray, Michael, famed for his role as the villain in the original series, didn’t hold back when asked if he could take on the new generation. He confidently remarked: “Absolutely, 100 per cent, I wouldn’t even worry about it.”
The sports icon, who earned his fame as Wolf, offered some pearls of wisdom to the new generation of Gladiators, encouraging them to establish their own distinctive characters to stand out.
Michael, who carved out a niche for himself as Wolf, expressed his enthusiasm for distinguishing himself among his peers, saying: “When they gave me the name Wolf (that) was marvellous for me, because they gave me a chance to become the baddie and stand out from the rest of the crowd.”
Since hanging up his spandex suit, the former fitness entrepreneur has been enjoying retirement in New Zealand. With the upcoming series on the horizon, Bradley Walsh shared his excitement, stating: “The new series is just fantastic, the Gladiators mean business and they are back tougher than before!
“There are some new events this series including the return of a fan favourite, and throughout the series lots of other exciting surprises.
“The contenders now have helmet cameras fitted, you might have seen from the celebrity special, so you can literally see what they are faced with when going up against the Gladiators. It’s a great new feature and brings a whole new dimension to what you see.”
Gladiators season 2 will return on Saturday 18th January at 5:50pm on BBC One and iPlayer.