It has been announced today that BBC Saturday night sensation Gladiators has been renewed for a third series — and that there is also another celebrity spin-off on the way, too.
When the BBC rebooted the 90s show Gladiators in 2004, I was excited to see the series back on my screen, especially as this time around, I have a young family to settle down with on a Saturday evening and watch together. However, no one could predict just how huge the show's comeback would be.
After two hugely successful seasons, Bradley and Barney Walsh will oversee proceedings for series three as Apollo, Athena, Bionic, Comet, Cyclone, Diamond, Dynamite, Electro, Fire, Fury, Giant, Hammer, Legend, Nitro, Phantom, Sabre, Steel, and Viper return to the arena.
The Gladiators will showcase their power, agility and banter against courageous contenders from the general public, and as always, a loyal audience will pack out Sheffield Arena to see their favourite superheroes in action.
Despite the show's format remaining very close to the original series, each year, bosses add new courses and challenges and 2026 is no different, with the BBC promising the new series is set to be the biggest yet.
But that's not the only good news for Gladiators fans, because we are also being treated to another celebrity spin off, where once again we will see four brave celebrities taking on the toughest test on TV as they enter the arena in a bid to prove they have the power to succeed and emerge victorious.
Since its return, Gladiators has quickly become a Saturday night sensation, averaging 5.3 million and with nearly two-fifths streaming on demand, making it the most watched Saturday night series on BBC iPlayer.
Speaking of the new series, Kalpna Patel-Knight, Head of Entertainment at the BBC says: “Audiences have loved getting together to watch our mighty Gladiators take on contenders from all across the UK with younger fans especially excited to cheer on their Saturday night superheroes.
"With this brand-new series and another celebrity special confirmed, there will be even more epic battles, more high-octane action and of course even more foam fingers than ever before for everyone to look forward to!”
Viewers can stream all available episodes of Gladiators on BBC iPlayer now.
Free tickets to attend the recordings for all shows will be available to request here.
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