The original Gladiators reunited on ‘This Morning’ and now we want it back more than ever

Some 25 years have passed since the first ever episode of Gladiators aired in the UK, and we can still remember it as vividly as ever.

We all had our favourites from the Saturday evening show, and it’s fair to say not all Gladiators were created equal, but the opening bars of the theme tune still send chills down the spine of many a ‘90s kid.

Whether you’re a fan of the still incredibly-stacked Wolf or a dyed-in-the-wool Lightning ultra, the prospect of a reunion (with the original cast, not any of those Johnny-come-latelys) always appeals.

Naturally, it was great to see four of the ‘90s stars land on the This Morning sofa to fill us in on what they’re doing these days.

Oh, and referee John Anderson was there with them, of course – they might not still be tackling Hang Tough and The Wall, but we still need someone there to restore order.

Two of the four, Jet and Panther, made their debuts on the first season of the show, while Hunter (seasons 2-8) and Ace (seasons 5-8) arrived a little later.

They shared stories from the show, including how Hunter “couldn’t do anything” during his first few shows.

“I couldn’t get up the wall, I couldn’t swing on the rings… I locked myself away for a year and that’s how I became good at the events,” said Hunter (real name James Crossley), who was the youngest Gladiator on the show when he began, aged just 19.

“We filmed the whole series in two weeks. We got two days [training], the contenders got two days, so unless you did stuff in your own time you wouldn’t get good at the events.”

We also learned about how Jet was forced to step away due to injury, but Ace made a much more surprising revelation.

“I’m sort of a gladiator for the gospel now,” said the 45-year-old – real name Warren Furman – who has found God since he left the show.

“I stepped out of the rat race into God’s grace,” Dr Seuss, I mean Ace, explained.

“I used to think I was really blessed, thinking I was this Gladiator, I had all this money, I had everything…and I was too busy looking down at people to ever look up.”

While plenty were delighted to see some of their faves, there were a couple of folks missing…

There’s only one thing for it now…

(Images: ITV)