Former England rugby international star Joe Marler is stepping into the arena in a formidable first, joining BBC’s Gladiators as the show’s first-ever Celebrity Gladiator. Produced by Hungry Bear Media and MGM Alternative UK, a division of Amazon MGM Studios, the series returns to BBC iPlayer and BBC One in 2027.
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.
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.
Filming for series 4 is underway in Sheffield, where Mauler joins the formidable line-up of Gladiators and the Contenders once again prepare to face the ultimate test of speed, strength and endurance.
Gladiators (11 x 60’) and Gladiators Celebrity Special (1 x 60’) are a Hungry Bear Media and MGM Alternative UK, a division of Amazon MGM Studios, production for BBC iPlayer and BBC One and were commissioned by Kalpna Patel-Knight, Head of Entertainment Commissioning at the BBC. The Executive Producers are Dan Baldwin, Lou Brown and Reshmi Bajnath for Hungry Bear Media, and Dom Bird for MGM Alternative UK, a division of Amazon MGM Studios. The Commissioning Editors for the BBC are Clodagh O’Donoghue and Leanne Witcoop.
The original American Gladiators series was created by Johnny C. Ferraro and Dan Carr and developed by Johnny C. Ferraro.
Watch Gladiators on BBC iPlayer
Source: BBC