Last year, one of the biggest sports series of the '90s made a triumphant return. Season 1 of BBC's Gladiators embraced marching band, lycra and crazy games such as Duel, Hang Tough and The Wall in all their glory. The result was the biggest television launch on the BBC for seven years.
Father-son TV duo Bradley and Barney Walsh took on presenting duties, while elite athletes adopted alter egos and became formidable adversaries to competitors and great entertainment for fans at home.
Season 1 concluded at the end of March 2024, and after a Celebrity edition of the series in the new year, all eyes now turn to season 2 of Gladiators. Here's what you need to know.
When will Gladiators season 2 be released?
Get your dueling sticks ready, because the BBC has officially confirmed on its website that Gladiators Season 2 will launch on Saturday January 18, 2025 at 17:50 GMT.
Nick Eagle / BBC / Hungry Bear
Which gladiators are returning?
All but one of the Gladiators will return for Season 2. They are:
- Athena – Karenjeet Kaur Bains
- Bionics – Matty Campbell
- Comet – Ella-Mae Rayner
- Diamond – Livi Sheldon
- Electro – Jade Packer
- Four – Montell Douglas
- Fury – Jodie Ounsley
- Giant – Jamie Christian Johal
- Caption – Matt Morsia
- Ghost – Toby Olubi
- Steel – Zack George
- Viper – Quang Luong
Unfortunately, the King of The Wall and sprinter Nitro (Harry Aikines-Aryeetey) was forced to withdraw from the new series due to a knee injury.
In addition, the cast will expand a little this year.
Who are the new Gladiators?
The BBC has confirmed that two new Gladiators will be joining the cast, and we've caught a brief glimpse of them through trailers and teasers.
We know we have a man and a woman, but we haven't seen their faces. However, Reddit noticed that in the Instagram trailer, the gladiator appears to be holding a giant hammer like Thor – a prop that hopefully won't be allowed at events.
You can watch this below:
The BBC will likely reveal more about the new additions in the coming weeks.
What are the new events in Gladiators season 2?
Fans of the original series will be delighted to learn that Atlaspheres is making a return. This was revealed in the official trailer, where contestants and gladiators face off in giant spherical cages (or hamster wheels if you prefer).
The Contenders must reach specific points on the floor while the Gladiators aim to block them.
The trailer also introduces a brand new sprint-based event: it appears that competitors must capture a flag while being chased by a gladiator. The trailer showed Fire participating in this event, who is one of many former sprinters, so it will be a challenge.
You can see both events in the trailer below:
The footage and Celebrity Special revealed the return of events such as Duel, Hang Tough, Gauntlet, Power Ball, The Edge and Collision. The New Year's Special modified Gauntlet by adding an extra Gladiator, meaning competitors must clear five obstacles instead of four.
This was the case in the original series and a welcome change considering most of the competitors beat the game in Series 1.
Who won season 1 of Gladiators?
After ten weeks of difficult challenges, with several competitors forced to withdraw due to injuries, the final took place.
The women's title was between Bronte, born and raised in Sheffield, and Marie-Louise, from Dublin. Meanwhile, the men's final pitted Leeds-born Wesley – replacing another competitor who had to withdraw – and Edinburgh's Finlay.
In the end, Marie-Louise and Finlay reigned victorious, arriving first at the top of the dreaded conveyor belt.
BBC / James Stack / © Hungry Bear Media Ltd
Will Gladiators return for season 3?
The BBC has not announced whether Gladiators will return for another season after the next one airs.
Season 1 was a big success for the BBC, so it probably depends on how well Season 2 performs. If all goes well, we won't see why it would be canceled.
We'll know more when the series returns – if applications are open for another season, it's likely the series will return in 2026.
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