Gladiators 2026 is on the way, once again reuniting us with our favourite Lycra-clad superhumans as they battle it out with a new batch of fit and eager contenders.
The new 11-part series was announced in June 2025 - along with the news we will also be getting another celebrity special at the end of the year, just like we did in 2024.
When the BBC rebooted the 90s show Gladiators in 2004, no one could have predicted just how successful the series' return would be. Since then, the show has quickly become a Saturday night sensation, averaging 5.3 million viewers each week, making it the most-watched Saturday night series on BBC iPlayer.
Speaking of gthe third 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!”
Here is everything we know about Gladiators 2026...
Gladiators 2026 release date
While we are still waiting for a release date from the BBC, the new series of Gladiators traditionally hits our screens at the start of the year, so we expect this new series to be released in January 2026.
As soon as we have an official release date, we will update this guide. In the meantime, you can stream all past episodes of Gladiators now on BBC iPlayer.
Gladiators for 2026
All our favourite Gladiators are back. They are:
Legend - Ex-powerlifter Matt Morsia.
Fire - Former Team GB sprinter and Strictly Come Dancing 2024 star, Montell Douglas.
Bionic - Bodybuilder Matty Campbell.
Diamond - Bodybuilder Livi Sheldon.
Nitro - Team GB sprinter Harry Aikines-Aryeetey, who's also taken part in Celebrity MasterChef and the Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special 2024.
Electro - Fitness coach Jade Packer.
Giant - Bodybuilder Jamie Christian Johal.
Steel - Crossfit athlete Zack George.
Apollo - Ex-rugby pro Alex Gray.
Comet - Former gymnast Ella Mae Rayner.
Viper - Bodybuilder Quang Luong.
Athena - Team GB powerflifter Karenjeet Kaurbains.
Fury - Rugby player Jodie Ounsley, who is the show's first deaf Gladiator.
Phantom -Team GB bobsleigh team member Toby Olubi.
Sabre - Weightlifting champion Sheli McCoy.
Dynamite - CrossFit athlete Emily Steel.
Cyclone - Irish powerlifter Lystus Ebosele.
Hammer - World Rowing Champion Tom Wilson.
Gladiators 2026 hosts
Father-and-son duo Bradley Walsh and Barney Walsh are back once again to host the third series of Gladiators, which is filmed at Sheffield's Utilita Arena.
Gladiators 2026 referees
It is thought that ex-Premier League ref Mark Clattenburg, fitness pro Lee Phillips and former international netball player Sonia Mkoloma will all be back to make sure the challenges are fair and square.
Voice-over commentary for the series is provided by former football commentator Guy Mowbray.
Who won Gladiators in 2025?
After 11 weeks of being chased around the arena in giant metal balls, taking fierce tackles in Powerball, being pushed over The Edge and racing up The Wall Amanda Wah from Warrington and Joe Fishburn from Scarborough were crowned Gladiators Champions 2025.
Behind the scenes and more on Gladiators 2026
Gladiators and Gladiators Celebrity Special are a Hungry Bear and MGM Alternative UK, a division of Amazon MGM Studios, production for BBC One and BBC iPlayer and were commissioned by Kalpna Patel-Knight, Head of Entertainment Commissioning at the BBC.
The Executive Producers are Dan Baldwin and Lou Brown for Hungry Bear, and Dom Bird and Barry Poznick for MGM Alternative UK, a division of Amazon MGM Studios. The Commissioning Editor for the BBC is Clodagh O’Donoghue.
The original American Gladiators series was created by Johnny C. Ferraro and Dan Carr and developed by Johnny C. Ferraro.
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