Rugby star Joe Marler has revealed his one request following his surprise casting as one of the resident champions on the BBC gameshow Gladiators. The 36-year-old rugby ace has seen his star power rise since appearing as a contestant on the first season of The Celebrity Traitors which aired on the Beeb last year.
Now Joe is to become a more permanent prime time star as one of the intimidating athletes on Gladiators - taking on the mantle of Mauler; a pun on his last name. Gladiators originally ran from 1992 until 2000 on ITV and was revived by the BBC in 2024 with Bradley Walsh and his son Barney as hosts.
Request for baggy clothes shut down
The show is due to return for a fourth season in early 2027 - with cameras expected to start rolling before the end of this year. While Joe's involvement was revealed last month, he has now explained that he feels he needs a bit more time to get fighting fit before squeezing into his Lycra outfit - and asked for a less revealing look.
The rugby legend revealed he requested to be the first Gladiator to wear baggy clothes - which will contradict the tight outfits Gladiators are known to wear - and the show creators quickly shut him down. He then added: "I'm going to need a little bit of time to get as close to Gladiator-ready as possible."
Son inspired Joe to take on the role
He told The Sunday People's Love Sunday magazine: "My kids love it, particularly my youngest boy. [I was at Soccer Aid with my family.] We walked past Nitro and he says, 'Daddy, it's Nitro!'"
"He walked over like, 'Hi, Nitro.' And I'm like, 'What? Who is this? You barely say hello to family members, but you've gone straight up to Nitro.' So when the call came in to say, 'We'd like you to be a Gladiator if you fancy it,' it was a definite yes."
BBC announces Marler's new identity
His involvement was announced by the BBC earlier this month as they prepare to begin filming the 2027 season. A statement declared: "Trading the rugby pitch for the iconic Gladiators arena, Marler will join the epic Gladiators in battle, introducing fans and audiences alike to his new identity - Mauler."
"Mauler, the Gladiator, will make his debut across series 4, where he'll go head-to-head with some of the Contenders in special appearances packed with power, personality and plenty of surprises." And the bulletin added: "Known for his uncompromising style of play and larger-than-life sense of humour, Joe has built a reputation as one of the UK's most entertaining sporting personalities. Now, he's taking on an entirely new challenge as he joins the ranks of the Gladiators, bringing his trademark physicality and competitive spirit to one of television's toughest arenas."
As well as being a star of rugby, Celebrity Traitors, and now Gladiators, Joe is also the host of a popular podcast titled Joe Marler Will See You Now. A recent guest was Prince Harry - which drew chuckles as the host and Prince discussed their daily grooming routines. Joe, however, later revealed he suffered a backlash for inviting the Prince onto his podcast - which he co-hosts with comedian Jake Bhardwaj.
He told The Mirror+: "We put some prep in but it crept up on us and I was nervous, thinking about the whole thing and also the polarising public opinion of it. Jake just said, 'Calm down and think about what we want to achieve from having him as a guest.' I knew I liked him. I was Team Harry, if there were teams or whatever."
He added: "I knew that there would be some level of backlash to whatever question or whatever answer he gave. But I didn't want that to stop me and Jake from being genuine and in the moment. I wanted him and us to be present and to have the experience. I didn't want to overthink things or not ask a particular question because of how it might be received. But the level of vitriol that comes with him, the social media backlash... What is the matter with some people?"
