The second season of the new reboot, Gladiators, will be available to watch tonight. And although there will be plenty of adrenalin-fuelled excitement in store, some fans may well be thinking back wistfully to the original ‘ 90s run.
It’s been almost 25 years since Gladiator fans bid them farewell to the likes of Wolf, Jet, and Lightning, who impressed week after week with their near-superhuman strength and agility. The program was broadcast on ITV from 1992 to 2000. The word iconic gets used a lot nowadays, but for those who grew up in the ‘ 90s, these musclebound athletes were and are the very definition.
What followed, and could our unstoppable participants fight the Eliminator after leaving the TV arena? Here, the Mirror takes a look at what happened to the original Gladiators, from surprising career changes to devastating tragedies.
Bernadette Hunt in the Falcon
In 1993, Falcon, who had previously appeared in the second season of the popular television show, became known as the “nicest” Gladiator. She also made appearances on International Gladiators and remained a core character until 1999.
Bernadette worked as a fitness instructor in Basingstoke after her TV success. Last year, Bernadette tragically died at the age of 59 following a cancer diagnosis.
Rick Jango, Falcon’s sister’s partner, made her death known on social media. In the tribute, he said: “She never had a bad word to say about anyone, indeed she was always known as the nicest Gladiator, always stopping to speak and sign autographs for anyone”.
Michael Jefferson King as the shadow
Shadow was one of the most popular stars of the hit ITV series but was axed from the show in 1995 after being caught snorting cocaine and testing positive for steroids. He entered rehab in 2009, where he spent some time recovering, but eventually he was back on illegal drugs.
Michael Jefferson King, now aged 63, was jailed in 2021 for his part in a blackmail plot, where he threatened to kneecap a drug user if he did not pay a £1, 000 debt. After a man was hit with a metal pole and gagged, he had threatened to use a hammer to his legs to escape.
King was said to be addicted to heroin and crack cocaine at the time and lived in a flat in Acton, west London, that was a “safe haven” for people to take drugs in. He was sentenced to six years and three months in prison after admitting two blackmail counts.
Warrior: Michael Ahearne
Michael Ahearne, 64, was adored on the television program, but his life suddenly came to a halt. He played rugby union for England at youth level before becoming a prize-winning bodybuilder – representing Great Britain at Mr Universe.
The 6’4″ athlete, who was one of the Gladiators’ stars during the first six series, gained up to £100,000 annually. However, his world crumbled in 1997 after becoming embroiled in a plot to foil the prosecution of Philip Glennon Jnr, a then associate of former international cocaine baron Curtis ‘ Cocky ‘ Warren.
In 1996, Glennon Jr. was accused of shooting a handgun at a doorman and a police officer outside a nightclub. He was also accused of trying to kill both. Glennon Jnr was jailed at Preston Crown Court in 1998 for six years for attempted murder.
In 1998, Ahearne was sent to prison for corruption and perverting the course of justice in a firearms case and served part of a 15-month jail sentence. After impressing West Yorkshire’s Wealstun jail bosses, Ahearne was released from prison six months later.
He returned to his home in Oxton, Wirral, where he was the subject of an electronic tag. He made headlines once more in 2018 when his Wirral home was the subject of a police raid. Officers uncovered a stash of anabolic steroids inside a plastic Tesco shopping bag, another bag and some boxes.
No charges were brought against Ahearne over the haul, despite the fact that she was detained on suspicion of possessing Class C drugs with the intent to supply. However, Ahearne was charged over the CS spray and admitted three counts of possessing a weapon “designed or adapted for the discharge of a noxious liquid”.
In October 2018, he received a six-month prison sentence at Liverpool Crown Court, with a 12-month suspended sentence. The case was brought back to court as Merseyside Police applied to destroy the steroids, which was granted by the district judge.
Sharron Davies, Amazon
You may recognise this former Gladiator as she is actually much more famous for her achievements outside of the show. Before becoming an Amazon, Sharon, 62, won two silver medals at the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow and represented Great Britain at the Commonwealth Games and European Championships.
After retiring from the sport, she became a Gladiator in the ‘ 90s but had to retire after just a year on the show due to a knee injury. She then established herself as a popular face of the BBC’s sports coverage, hosting the Big Breakfast, and becoming a successful TV presenter.
Sharron also competed in Dancing On Ice back in 2010. She demanded that transgender athletes with a male sex advantage be exempt from women’s sports in 2019, and she received a lot of criticism for it.
She previously came out in support of World Athletics ‘ decision to exclude transgender athletes from women’s category events – and thanked the organisation for ‘ standing up for female athletes’.
We’ve got our sport back, she wrote on X, which was before Twitter. Sport is for all but only where you qualify in the fair category for your biological reality. We’ll continue to fight until the rights of all girls’ sports are respected.
Back in January 2024, Sharron opened up about the “horrendous pain” she endured while filming Gladiators, telling The Sun: “It was a very long day. We started out early and would finish at ten in the evening. It was very intense in the summer, and you could easily get injured.
I recall experiencing horrendous pain in my forearms as a result of everything we did, whether it was hanging, pulling, or climbing. I had to take Nurofen because they hurt so much. “
Mike Van Wijk is the Wolf.
TV’s original Mr Nasty was often cited as the most popular Gladiator because of his bad-boy antics. He served as the show’s main villain for eight seasons and for seven years.
Wolf also returned for the revived Sky series as the ‘ Leader of the Pack ‘ and appeared in all of the series two episodes. Mike, age 72, lives in Wolf’s Gym, where he runs his own business.
Wolf has moved halfway across the world and gotten into” the best shape “of his life, with images of his ripping muscles filling the screen behind him and videos of him working out. He continues to exercise and is just as ripped as he was in the past.
Although he has lost all the hair. He made an appearance on Lorraine in August 2019 confessing to begging the show’s producers to revive it.
In 2023, Wold delighted fans by competing in the reality competition, Squid Game: The Challenge, based on the sinister Netflix show – but, of course, without such terrifying eliminations.
Wolf ” appeared in good spirits” despite being defeated in the first grueling round, which saw the competitors attempt the Red Light, Green Light challenge.
A source told The Sun at the time:” Everyone recognised him straight away and was excited to meet him. He was a genuine gentleman. It’s a shame he was taken out in the first round but he seemed in good spirits.
It only serves to demonstrate how difficult the competition was. If he found it hard, what hope was there for anyone else? “
Jet: Diane Youdale
Jet was one of the original cast and was much-loved by fans at home. She ended up rescheduling after four seasons as a result of a nasty neck injury she suffered while tackling one of the challenges.
Now 54, Diane who hails from Middlesbrough, retrained as a psychotherapist and pilates instructor. She returned to the screen and has since appeared on many occasions.
She appeared as an expert therapist on Big Brother’s Bit On The Side between 2012 and 2014 and competed on Celebrity Pointless in 2014. When Diane shared her engagement to her now-wife Zoe Gilbert, whom she met in a supermarket, in the summer of 2023, Diane made headlines.
The ex-athlete said on the Chillin ‘ with Ice podcast:” Just over a year ago, a gorgeous lady approached me in my local supermarket and over a year later, we’re going to get married. “
Just six of their closest friends and family members attended the intimate “secret” ceremony where the couple got married shortly afterward. Diane told Closer at the time:” We’re married! We kept it very quiet throughout. Literally, nine people on the planet knew. Things just disappear when you’re in the public eye, whether it was for the last millennium or not, especially in today’s social media era.
“I’m in my 50s now, and we’re both very private people, and we thought, ‘ You know, let’s just keep this thing quiet’. Because we wanted to keep it so tiny, we didn’t even let our closest friends know.
Proving that you can be both tough and emotional, she added: “It was casual, I didn’t wear a dress. I wore a lovely boho-style top, pants, and a pair of sandals. Zoe wore her chinos, brogues and a nice shirt with a waistcoat. She appeared extremely intelligent. I cried a lot”.
James Crossley, Hunter
James, now 51, was the youngest cast member as he was just 19 when he started and he became the Gladiators heartthrob. He even ended up bedding Ulrika Jonsson, the show’s host.
They dated for a year between 1996 and 1997, and they kept their romance out of the spotlight until the telly presenter told all in her 2003 autobiography. After quitting the Gladiators’ team in 2000, James worked in the theater for several years before beginning to pursue an acting career.
He’s gone back to the fitness industry in recent years and is now a strength and conditioning coach, while his girlfriend Arianna is also a yoga teacher. He had a previous relationship with Dr. Zoe Williams from This Morning.
In 2021, James appeared in Channel 4 reality show The Circle. The bodybuilder vowed to donate half of the series’ winnings to the NHS despite opting to compete under the ” NHS nurse Gemma ” persona.
Nowadays, James runs a London-based teacher training school for gong bath practitioners. James, a handpan musician, also inaugurated the London Handpan Academy last year. Championing the instrument on his LinkedIn page, multi-talented James wrote: “This is a unique instrument with a distinct look and vibe. We provide upbeat and mediatic events and performances.
Lightning: Kim Betts
As the Queen of Hang Tough, Lightning ruled supremely as one of the most difficult Gladiators. She was a gymnast before becoming a Gladiator and went on to become the longest-serving star of the show.
Kim competed for two Legends specials as part of the 2008 revamp as well as the majority of the domestic series. She also made a major comeback with the majority of the international series. However, the blonde bombshell quit TV after bowing out of the Gladiator ring.
Kim, now 53, founded her own beauty parlour and spent 15 years working in real estate development. Kim has maintained her buff physique and she was crowned winner of 2020 IBFA Miss Universe.
Kim showed off her incredible six-pack on Instagram in January 2024, revealing she still had a passion for lifting. Sharing snaps of her washboard abs, Kim told inspired followers: “Me today…. a grandmother who is 53 years old. It’s irrelevant how many children you’ve given birth to.. It really doesn’t matter how old you are; you can still look as good as you did when you were 20! Or EVEN BETTER”!
One enthralled fan said to Kim, “You have been incredibly talented, strong, and beautiful since I was eight years old.” Another commented: “Still my favourite Gladiator”.
Michael Wilson, Cobra
During his eight seasons on the show, Cobra had rippling muscles and was at the peak of his physical condition. Many of the Gladiators abandoned the party lifestyle, but Michael’s filming days included it as well.
But he would often struggle to chase contestants up the infamous 32-foot-high wall because he was so drunk. He admitted to being “bleeding drunk” frequently while battling contestants on the show and received a telling ovation from producers.
“I didn’t take it too seriously”, admitted Michael to the Mirror in 2019. I had a great time playing the pranks, despite how mucky I was. It was brilliant I was with a lot of mates with similar interests, we were all similar age, it was fun… There were end of show parties, when we had international Gladiators come over, we would be up all night boozing”.
After leaving the showbiz industry, Michael, now 61, leads a much quieter life. He became a motivational speaker in schools and youth clubs up and down the country.
Cobra blamed his illness on his punishing workouts for the ITV show because he was seriously ill and suffering from pneumonia in a hospital in February. “I’m only half a Gladiator now. He continued, “It’s been touch and go.”
Back in January 2024, Michael, who now lives in Kent, opened up about the life of a Gladiator with KentOnline, confessing: “It gets a bit boring really. Similar to the same thing, it frequently appears in theme parks and shopping centers. The money was fantastic though”.
He did acknowledge that the new era of Gladiators, which he compared to a fake Rolex, wasn’t particularly impressive. Michael said: “The new show is a bit like buying a Rolex from the market… it looks good and looks the same, but it’s not as good as the original.
To be fair, we weren’t even the originals because we were Americans. It’s hard to repeat something and make it as good as the first.
“I was a little insulted that no one from the team even asked the originals to return, even as the film was being filmed, but they probably don’t want us to talk to the new ones,” I said. They probably think we would share some tips and tricks with the new ones, whether it be how to climb the wall or get ahead of other challenges”.
Rhino: Mark Smith
Mark, now 55, was one of the stars of the original American version of the show before transferring to the UK version. He left the show in 1999 and settled in Los Angeles as a successful actor.
He had a recurring role as ‘ Johnson ‘ in EastEnders before heading Stateside, where he’s starred in shows such as Agents of S. H. E. I. L. D, and NCIS: Los Angeles. His film roles include those in the well-known dramas Yardie, Creed, Hitchhikers’ Guide to the Galaxy, and Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides.
He’s also previously played Carson in 2021 Westeren, The Harder They Fall alongside Idris Elba, and Doom in 2022 thriller The Enforcer, which starred Antonio Banderas and Kate Bosworth.
Mark also appeared in Batman Begins as “Should Warrior,” who currently resides in west London. Still a fitness buff, Mark continues to share insights into his healthy life on Instagram.
Mark expressed a strong desire to return to the Gladiators arena in 2022, amid speculation about a reboot. When asked whether he would want to get involved during an interview with the Radio Times, Mark replied: “Yeah, would I like to be? That’s what I believe. In what capacity? I’m unsure. I’m not bad for being in my 50s, but could I hang with 20 year olds? Not in my opinion.
He added:: “I met with MGM. One of the head producers, who is actually producing the show, and one of the other two, who has worked for the BBC, came in and worked together. Am I going to work on it? I’m not sure if I have the time, but I still exercise a lot and participate in a variety of different sports.
Ace: Warren Furman
Former Yorkshireman Warren, 52, is best remembered for being Katie Price’s first fiancée when she was known as Jordan in the 1990s. They were engaged for two years before splitting in 1999.
He claimed that their high-end lifestyle caused the romance to end badly, quoting him as saying, “We traveled the world first class, went for expensive dinners, had big houses, and fancy cars. We both came from working-class families and were hustling for a few quid.
We were conditioned on a “people’s lifestyle” that included everything. We were absolutely petrified we would lose it. We then collectively made some questionable choices. It jeopardised our relationship. “
He turned his back on showbusiness and found God while appearing on the ITV show from 1996 until 1999. Warren now lives in York with his wife and two children.
He previously stated on This Morning that he once worshiped himself and thought we were fantastic. I have now turned to God’s grace. I believe in the gospel as a gladiator. You’ll never know God until you change your direction and so I realised this. Although it was wonderful and full of women, I realized I had to change.
Last summer, Warren took his commitment to Christianity to the next level, becoming ordained as a vicar alongside his wife Dionne. Warren stated that “I was completely blown away with everything that happened” when he spoke about his ordination with The Sun at the time. I couldn’t believe I was standing there next to my wife. The two of us had a magical day.
“While I was in the TV show, I always put my faith in myself. I now trust God. I’ve gone from TV’s Gladiator to God’s gladiator, while Dionne has gone from flying high as a cabin crew manager with Virgin Atlantic to reaching for the sky in the name of Jesus”.
This evening (January 18) at 5:50 pm on BBC One will air the new season of Gladiators.
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