Inside Gladiators celebrity special that saw contender suffer bloody injury and star give themselves a naughty nickname
EXPECT blood, sweat and plenty of laughs as four famous faces take on telly’s toughest gang, the Gladiators, on New Year’s Day.
In the first celebrity special of the BBC One reboot, screening at 6pm, comics Joel Dommett, Rob Beckett and Ellie Taylor, plus News host Louise Minchin, go head to head with the TV hunks.
They will tackle the famous show challenges including Duel, Power-ball and Collision.
The action-packed episode has it all, including injury as Louise is left bleeding after being accidentally kicked in the face.
She said: “I don’t know who cut my nose but there was blood.
“When they’re fighting you, you can’t feel the pain.
“But being tackled by them is like hitting a brick wall.
“I just had these extraordinarily powerful legs kicking out at me.
“Honestly, they’re units!”
Masked Singer host Joel foolishly joked before filming that he is the fittest comic in Britain and quickly regretted his boast as he was squashed “like a fly” by the Gladiators.
He joked: “I kind of wish I didn’t say that, because my level of, whether you’d call it fitness, is so inapplicable to everything that is in Gladiators.
“I’m so skinny, you feel inferior because they are huge.
“But Rob’s a contender.
“Even though he’s 90 per cent legs and ten per cent teeth, he’s strong.”
For Ted Lasso star Ellie, even making the start line on the show was impressive, as she had given birth to her second child just eight months before filming.
Naughty innuendos
She admits she spent the whole challenge trying not to wet herself — joking that her pelvic floor is not what it used to be.
She added: “It’s not a nice, gentle way back into exercise: be whacked by a Gladiator.
“But it’s been so much fun and the Gladiators have been nice.
“They know we’re not athletes like them.
“It makes me have a whole new respect for the public contenders on the show, because they must be so fit to take on the Gladiators.
“I’ll be so chuffed just to get through that bit of paper at the end and then collapse — I would be so incredibly proud of myself, and my pelvic floor . . . if I manage to get through there.”
For Rob, taking on the show was about more than just facing the Gladiators — he set out to wind up host Bradley Walsh as much as possible by slipping in naughty innuendos whenever he could.
When Bradley asked him what his Gladiator name would be, he cheekily replied: “Beaver!”
Red-faced Bradley told him: “Have you got another one?
“This is tea-time telly.”
But earning roars of laughter from the crowd, Rob hit back: “It’s because of my teeth, Bradley.
“What are you thinking?
“Beavers are strong and aggressive, good in water — that won’t help here but that’s why I’m the beaver.
“I’m an angry beaver, I’m up for it.”
Joel, who gave himself show nickname “The Inhaler”, added: “Rob and I wanted to give Bradley a bit of stick.
“I mean, it’s an incredible thing to see 5,000 people shouting ‘Beaver!’ over and over again.
“It’s good fun trying to make him laugh, and put him off.”
Ellie Taylor
HE’S been judged before the nation on Strictly, but Ellie Taylor reckons being in front of the Gladiators crowd at the Sheffield Arena is just as scary.
Ellie, who appeared on the telly dance show in 2022, said of the female Gladiators: “I mean, these women are like gods, aren’t they?
“I found it sort of like the same nerves I’ve had when I did Strictly.
“It just feels very high-stakes and unfamiliar.”
Asked who’s worse, the Strictly judges or the Gladiators, she said: “I think the Gladiators, because the Strictly judges can’t hurt you.
“They can just emotionally destroy you.
“It’s different levels of pain.”
Ellie revealed she had a great time getting to grips with her girl crush, Fury.
She said: “Luckily, she didn’t tackle me.
“I just got a little fireman’s carry and I felt like a dainty lady for once.
“And I got to play bongos on her bum!
“I love it, it’s really fun.”
Rob Beckett
FUNNYMAN Rob Beckett insists he is not the “joke act” as he goes head to head with the Gladiators.
The comic-turned-podcaster shed more than a stone to get fit for Wednesday’s special.
He explained: “In the last three months I’ve been looking at my nutrition and exercise.
“I’ve started doing weights in the gym, which I never did as I was too self-conscious. I’ve lost 7kg and feel fitter than I ever have.”
Rob was determined to give his Gladiator rivals a run for their money during the Powerball event.
He added: “Obviously we’re having fun with it, but I’m really trying to knock them off – trying to get the balls in and not worry about the entertainment factor.”
Rob revealed his Parenting Hell podcast co-host Josh Widdicombe had warned him Gladiators would be “scary”, but added: I thought he was winding me up for the podcast – if anything, he underplayed it.
“It’s insane.”
Louise Minchin
LOUISE MINCHIN has praised the show’s female Gladiators for being role models for girls.
TV host Louise, who returned to sport 11 years ago and has competed in triathlons ever since, says having women like Fury, Sabre and Fire to look up to is important.
She added: “They’re stunning, beautiful, but very powerful women and I love them for that.
“It’s so great to be in their company, even when they’re trying to bash my head in.
“They’re brilliant role models.”
So what would Louise’s Gladiator name be?
She laughed: “My daughter said it should be Chaos because that’s what they think of me at home.
“When I’m on the BBC news, everything’s all together and I am in control.
“But in my life, I cause chaos a lot.
“For example, if I am cooking, I use every single thing in the kitchen.
“It’s been a joke in my house. And now it’s going to be on telly!”
Joel Dommett
E’S faced his fears in the I’m A Celeb jungle but Joel Dommett reckons taking on the Gladiators is scarier – and confesses he would rather face real critters than the show’s resident snake, Viper.
The comic said: “Gladiators is obviously way more physical.
“In the jungle, you’re just caked in bugs.
“So both are really awful.
“But Ant & Dec would never crush me like Viper!”
Masked Singer host Joel added: “I’ve done all my challenges now.
“I’m getting old.
“At one point, they chucked me in the ball bin, then they threw Rob on top of me.
“They’re squashing me and I’m thinking, ‘I just want an autocue and a mic – get me out of here!’ ”
Asked if he had a game plan, Joel said: “I’m trying to not embarrass myself, so when I show my child this in five years’ time he doesn’t want to disown me.
“I just want to get through it without any injuries – same with Rob.
“We’re like, ‘Let’s get home to our wives!’ ”
Brad: It's Bafta-worthy
SHOW host Bradley Walsh has tipped Wednesday’s celebrity special to win a Bafta.
As well as the usual action and competition between the contenders, there’s lots of laughs, too.
At one point, with son Barney co-hosting, they lose control of the show as the Gladiators tackle Joel and Rob, throwing them in the Powerball bin.
Teasing the special, Bradley said: “You’re going to love what we’ve got for you.
“The stars are so brave, I can’t believe it.
“They seem really up for it.
“We’ve got to win a Bafta for this.”