Celebrity Traitors star Joe Marler is reportedly in talks to appear on BBC's Gladiators, which would make him the first ever celebrity Gladiator. Marler, a former rugby player, reached the final of Celebrity Traitors before being eliminated by his fellow celebrities.
Historic Gladiator role
According to reports, the broadcaster is planning a surprise appearance for Marler. A source told The Sun: 'Everyone is so excited about Joe’s surprise stint. It goes without saying he’s got the size, strength and muscle power to cut it as a Gladiator, but he’s also got the cheeky personality to match.'
Other Gladiators, like Fire (Olympian Montell Douglas), are already athletes, but Marler would be the first to jump from a TV career into the role.
Marler on his TV experience
After his Celebrity Traitors appearance, Marler described the experience as 'wild' and 'a little bit overwhelming' in parts, but said he enjoyed mixing with stars like Sir Stephen Fry, Celia Imrie and Alan Carr. He told Metro: 'I remember turning to my wife once the final had been broadcast, and I was like, "Great, it's done now - everyone's just gonna concentrate on Christmas." But being able to sit around the Round Table with people like Stephen Fry, Celia Imrie and Alan Carr ... and the opportunity to tell Alan to shut up or Jonathan Ross to grow up - that was great fun.'
Marler was surprised by the show's popularity, saying: 'I knew the show would be popular, but I didn't anticipate the public loving it as much as they did.'
No Strictly for Marler
While Marler hasn't ruled out Gladiators, he previously admitted he would never go near Strictly Come Dancing. He said: 'People have asked me, but I'm not doing Strictly because I can't dance.'
Celebrity Traitors 2026 cast
The famous faces heading to the Highlands castle for the upcoming Celebrity Traitors include: Amol Rajan, Bella Ramsey, James Acaster, James Blunt, Jerry Hall, Joanne McNally, Joe Lycett, Julie Hesmondhalgh, King Kenny, Leigh-Anne Pinnock, Maya Jama, Michael Sheen, Miranda Hart, Myha’la, Professor Hannah Fry, Richard E. Grant, Rob Beckett, Romesh Ranganathan, Ross Kemp, Sebastian Croft, and Sharon Rooney.
