Published: 13 January 2026
Gladiators is back on iPlayer and BBC One from 17 January as Saturday Night Superheroes Apollo, Athena, Bionic, Comet, Cyclone, Diamond, Dynamite, Electro, Fire, Fury, Giant, Hammer, Legend, Nitro, Phantom, Sabre, Steel, and Viper return to showcase their power, agility and bold banter against the courageous contenders in front of the packed-out arena crowd in Sheffield.
Series three also brings THREE new, exciting events to the arena.
And we’ve been catching up with presenters Bradley and Barney Walsh to find out more…
Bradley Walsh
Gladiators is back for series three! What do you love most about being a part of the show?
I love the sheer energy of it. Gladiators is big, loud, and proper family entertainment – there’s nothing else like it. Seeing the Gladiators push themselves, seeing the Contenders push themselves, the crowd going wild, and doing it all with Barney by my side is just brilliant. We have an absolute blast every time we’re in the arena.
How have you seen the show evolve between Series 1, 2 and now 3 – for you personally and behind the scenes?
It’s grown massively. Series one we were finding our feet and introducing this new world of the Gladiators. Series two really hit its stride and welcomed two newbies to the fold, and now with series three it’s bigger, bolder and runs like a well-oiled machine. The Gladiators are at the top of their game and the Contenders are bringing more fight than ever before.
Are there any new elements, challenges or surprises in Series 3 that you can tease?
There are definitely a few surprises in store, with some unbelievable edge of your seat moments. We’ve got three new events that really raise the stakes, testing both the Gladiators and Contenders in completely different ways. We also have the return of the formidable Nitro! We missed him last year due to injury, so it’s been great to have his lightning energy back in the arena.
Which of the events do you enjoy watching the most in the arena?
It’s tough to choose. I love The Edge, the height of it when you’re stood beneath it in the arena is… terrifying. I wouldn’t want to get up there. Unleash is brilliant and dynamically fast, watching the Gladiators sprint out from behind the wall is always exciting but I have to say, one of our new events for this year is a real thrill to watch, it’s about pure, brute strength… and that’s all you’re getting.
Barney Walsh
Gladiators is back for series three! What do you love most about being a part of the show?
I absolutely love everything about it – the Contenders giving it their all, the Gladiators going full throttle, and the crowd in the arena are always absolutely buzzing. Being part of that, and doing it alongside my Dad, makes it really special. It’s loud, fun, and just a brilliant show to be part of.
What do you think makes a great Contender?
A great Contender isn’t just about being strong or fast, it’s about heart, determination, and never giving up, even when it gets tough – which it does when you’re facing our Gladiators. I have to say, this class of Contenders are the strongest yet, which means the competition against the Gladiators is more brutal and competitive than we’ve seen before.
We’ve heard there’s a few new events this series, what can you tell us about them?
Not much, you have to watch to see them in all their glory! We have two brand new events for this series which were so thrilling to watch in the arena, I think the viewers are going to love them. One really tests both the Gladiator and Contender strength, the other is the perfect event for when you need to let out some aggression and release your energy… I’m looking at you, Viper. We also have a third event which is the return of an original and I think people will be glad to have it back.
Which of the events do you enjoy watching the most in the arena?
I really enjoyed all the new events this series, and Gauntlet never gets old! However, the buzz in the arena during the Eliminator is always a highlight for me. This series has the best Eliminators we’ve ever seen. There are so many moments where everything changes in the final event and you can never quite call who’s going to win.
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