The BBC has confirmed the lineup of the Gladiators: Celebrity Special.
Bradley and Barney Walsh's challenge show is returning for a one-off episode where a group of famous faces will be squaring off with Sabre, Viper and Legend (among others).
The first celebrity to enter the Gladiators arena will be former Strictly Come Dancing contestant Ellie Taylor — a comedian and actor who has appeared in Plebs and Ted Lasso.
"Me being on Celeb Gladiators is the answer to the question 'What’s the most elaborate thing you’d do to get your 5-year-old a foam finger?'," she joked. "We all love the show in my house, and I'm so excited to take part! I can’t wait to get chased by athletic goddesses and ask Viper about his childhood."
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Comedian Rob Beckett is the voice of Celebs Go Dating, which means he's more used to mocking awkward reality TV moments than being part of them.
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"I can’t wait to be absolutely crushed by the Gladiators in front of my wife and children in spandex whilst I watch Joel Dommett and his six-pack sprint past me on the travelator," he predicted.
"This is going to be a catastrophic humiliation in front of the nation. I’ve got no idea why I agreed to this. Is it too late to pull out?”
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As Rob mentioned, Joel Dommett will be sizing up the Gladiators after recently heading up the tribal council in the BBC's reboot of Survivor.
"I can’t believe I’m taking part in Gladiators," he said. "It’s always been my dream to be on that travelator. I’ve been illegally running up escalators backwards all my life in preparation and now it’s happening for real.
"Super excited to be up against all my favourite muscley people in leotards and have some fun!"
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The celebrity lineup is completed with Louise Minchin, the iconic newsreader and journalist well known for her stints on BBC Breakfast and The One Show.
"I am so excited to be on Gladiators," she said. "I have watched the show for years and have always thought it looked like terrifying fun, and I can’t wait to be part of it!”
The most recent series of the civilian Gladiators wrapped up in March, with another already in the works.
Gladiators: Celebrity Special's release date will be announced in due course by BBC One.
Justin is a freelance entertainment journalist and writer. He first joined Digital Spy as a freelance entertainment reporter in 2010 and also worked as a sub-editor for the brand, serving as Night News Editor from 2016 to 2024. Over more than a decade, Justin has covered numerous major entertainment events from the US and has interviewed a wide-ranging group of public figures, from comedian Steve Coogan to icons from the Star Trek universe, cast members from the Marvel Cinematic Universe and reality stars from numerous Real Housewives cities and the Below Deck franchise. Justin has also been on the ground to cover major pop culture events like the Star Wars Celebration and the D23 Expo. He's written for titles across the Hearst network, plus the likes of CBR and Us Weekly.
