Four celebrities are set to take on the gruelling Gladiators course in a special episode of the revived BBC series. The line-up includes stand-up comedian Rob Beckett, TV presenter and triathlete Louise Minchin, comedian and presenter Joel Dommett, and Ted Lasso star Ellie Taylor.
The sports entertainment game show, which originally aired from 1992 to 2000, was rebooted by the BBC earlier this year. Hosted by Bradley Walsh and his son Barney, the new series became one of the most successful family entertainment launches for the BBC in seven years, attracting over six million viewers for its premiere episode.
Speaking ahead of the event, Rob Beckett said he '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 added: '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?'
Louise Minchin, a former BBC Breakfast host and self-confessed Gladiators superfan, said she was excited to take part after watching the series for years, though she admitted it looked like 'terrifying fun'. Joel Dommett, host of The Masked Singer, 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.'
Ellie Taylor, who has appeared on Ted Lasso and Strictly Come Dancing, joked: '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 added: '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.'
The celebrity special was commissioned after the huge success of the comeback series, as confirmed by producer Dan Baldwin in April. The regular series champions, Finlay Anderson and Marie-Louise Nicholson, were crowned after 11 weeks of challenges.
