WARNING: There are unmarked spoilers for all episodes on this page.
Gladiators appearing in Gladiators (2024). Tropes pertain to those in-series personas only, not to the performers themselves.
The 2024 cast
Gladiators
open/close all folders
Apollo
Portrayed by: Alex Gray
From: County Durham
Height: 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
Background: England Rugby union and NFL player
Entry theme: "Are You Gonna Go My Way" – Lenny Kravitz
"Apollo is like Superman, but with a sense of humour. Big and fast, like a rocket, and hotter than the sun!"
- Bring It: His intro pose features Apollo making a 'bring it' beckoning gesture with one hand whilst giving the audience a meaningful nod.
- Gentle Giant: Despite his enormous size, Apollo is one of the more good-natured male Gladiators and doesn't engage in Trash Talk, as per Viper, Legend and Bionic, on occasion. Both he and fellow Rugby player Fury are representative of the old adage that: "Rugby is a thug's game played by gentlemen".
- Hidden Depths: Turns out to have a pretty good singing voice when he breaks into a rendition of "Another One Bites the Dust" following a "Wall" event.
- Lightning Bruiser:
- Apollo is an enormous man, but as an ex-Rugby player, he's incredibly quick on his feet, despite his build — perfect for intercepting and tackling contenders in "Powerball".
- The larger, less light-footed male Gladiators (Giant, Bionic) very rarely compete in the precarious "The Edge" event, but in episode 9, Apollo's Rugby agility comes in handy despite his enormous size when he closes the gap on contender Finlay in just a few huge strides before sending him tumbling down into the net below with a massive shove.
- Religious and Mythological Theme Naming: He's named after the sun god from classical Greek mythology. The mythological Apollo was also a god of music, and in the second quarterfinal, this Apollo prompts the crowd to sing "Another One Bites The Dust" with him after he wins on "The Wall".
Athena
Portrayed by: Karenjeet Kaur Bains
From: Warwickshire
Height: 5 ft 4 in (1.63 m)
Background: Commonwealth, All-England and British Powerlifting Champion
Entry theme: "Unfinished Sympathy" – Massive Attack
"Athena’s very classy yet composed, quite stoic, and carries herself in a regal manner."
- Out of Focus: Not due to injury and an early exit, as per Comet, but rather due to the fact that Athena almost solely competes in the group-based events "Collision" and "Gauntlet", meaning her screen-time is considerably less than all-rounders like Sabre, Diamond, and Fury, who compete in almost every event.
- Religious and Mythological Theme Naming: She's named after the goddess of wisdom from classical Greek mythology.
- Sadly Mythtaken: Athena's intro involves an archery pose, which would make more sense if her name were Artemis (which would also make a better pair with Apollo, as Artemis and Apollo are twins in Greek mythology.)
- The Load: Basically only competed on Gauntlet (where the contenders almost always won) and Collision (where her teammates usually did most of the work.) Her sole solo apperance was the only time the gladiator lost on Duel the entire series. Especially notable when Comet and Saber were injured and she still didnt appear, indicating she isnt even a reserve option for many events.
Bionic
Portrayed by: Matty Campbell
From: Middlesborough
Height: 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
Background: Bodybuilder, former sprinter and footballer
Entry theme: "Galvanize" – The Chemical Brothers
"Bionic is a machine. As soon as that game starts, he’s in the zone, he’s got to get the job done."
- The Big Guy: He's tied with Apollo as the tallest male Gladiator at a massive 6 ft 6 in (with his blond flattop adding a couple more inches), and is an immovable opponent in "Gauntlet", often acting as the guardian of the final points zone — a position only he and Giant typically hold. His height also lends him an advantage in "Duel", making him harder to land a solid blow on.
- Curb-Stomp Battle: In episode 3's "Gauntlet" challenge, he acts as the final guardian of zone 4, and absolutely batters contender Ash with an almighty shunt, sending him rolling head-over-heels from zone 4 right back to the start.
- Homage: In line with his moniker, Bionic has a Robot Soldier, Terminator-esque vibe, with a flat-top hairstyle to match.
- It's Personal: Gives contender Ash absolute hell in the "Gauntlet" event in episode 3 after his fellow gladiator Steel is disqualified for not releasing when instructed.
Comet
Portrayed by: Ella-Mae Rayner
From: Hertfordshire
Height: 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)
Background: Elite gymnast and cheerleader
Entry theme: "Levitating" – Dua Lipa
"Comet is feminine; she is a perfectionist, very poised, and very elegant. She encompasses femininity and strength combined."
- Face: Comet is a self-confessed huge fan of Jet from the 90s series, and hopes to follow in her footsteps. Like her idol, Comet is a Nice Girl amongst the female Gladiators, always maintaining a positive, upbeat tone.
- Girly Bruiser: The Girly Girl amongst her fellow female Gladiators, in her promo for the show, she explains that Comet is all about celebrating femininity, noting that you can be feminine and look elegant and poised, but still be strong and fearless.
- Out of Focus: Gladiators like Sabre and Fury appear every week and often in multiple events, but Comet is amongst the lesser-seen Gladiators, only appearing a couple of times in the heats. While unexplained on-screen, news outlets and her social media revealed she'd seriously injured her leg early in production, leaving her unable to participate in most of the series. After missing all of the quarterfinals she makes a brief appearance in a locker room scene in the first semifinal.
- Stellar Name: Named for the icy bodies that hurtle through the Solar System, suggesting her speed and power. Comet is a "Wall" and "Hang Tough" specialist.
Diamond
Portrayed by: Livi Sheldon
From: Worcestershire
Height: 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Background: Professional bodybuilder and personal trainer
Entry theme: "Woman Like Me" – Little Mix and Nicki Minaj
"Diamond is unbreakable; she’s strong, powerful, and versatile."
- The Big Guy: Of the female Gladiators. She's easily the tallest and amongst the most muscular, making her an immovable opponent in "Duel", and very often the last Gladiator a contender will face in "Gauntlet", guarding the final points zone.
- Curb-Stomp Battle: In episode 7's "Duel", Diamond batters contender Marie-Louise off her podium in an unbelievable two seconds after landing just one big wallop to her head.
- Gemstone Motifs: Diamonds are associated with glamour, beauty, and above all unbreakable strength, all of which she embodies. The front of her custom leotard features a large diamond-shaped cutout.
- Hot-Blooded: Whilst none of the female Gladiators would be considered a Heel in the same vein as Viper and Legend are amongst the men, Diamond is the most likely to become annoyed when she loses (and one point hurling the contender's shoe into the crowd following a failed attempt at "The Wall"), and sometimes engages in a bit of post-match You Have No Idea Who You're Dealing With boasting. As the most physically-impressive and outspoken woman amongst the female Gladiators, she's also something of an unofficial leader and spokesperson for the women following group events.
- Over-the-Shoulder Carry: Several events have ended with her picking up the contender she was facing and carrying them out of the arena slung across her shoulders.
Dynamite
Portrayed by: Emily Steel
From: Manchester
Height: 5 ft 5 in (1.65 m)
Background: Elite Crossfit athlete and National Swimming Champion
"Dynamite is small but mighty. She’s the one that might be underestimated, because she doesn’t look very scary and is naturally quite shy, but don’t let that fool you."
- The Baby of the Bunch: She's the youngest Gladiator at 20 years-old.
- Cute Bruiser: Compared to her fellow female Gladiators, whose personas typically play up their fierceness (Fury, Diamond) or sexiness (Sabre), Dynamite's persona is sweet, charming and earnest.
- Cruelty by Feet: Contender Betti is a slightly controversial figure amongst the Gladiators, as she's prone to some unsportsmanlike behaviour (turtling in "Duel", shoving Fury's head into the mat when she's already grounded in "Powerball"), and Dynamite is both surprised and a little shaken when Betti stomps on her face during "The Wall" in an attempt to evade her.
- Pintsize Powerhouse: Dynamite is the shortest of the female Gladiators, but still packs a major punch. Her favourite event is "Duel", and despite her size, her balance and relentless rapid-fire battering technique makes her a formidable opponent.
Electro
Portrayed by: Jade Packer
From: Essex
Height: 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)
Background: Sports model, fitness coach, bodybuilder and hybrid-style athlete
Entry theme: "Light It Up" – Major Lazer
- Braids of Action: Her hair is weaved into multiple blonde braids.
- Out of Focus: While not to the same extent as Athena, Electro primarily competed in team events. However, its implied Hang Tough was used less since Comets injury (with her shown to be used for that event) and Electro appeared in Hang Tough most times it was used, meaning this was more a case of Electros events being sidelined, not Electro herself.
- Shock and Awe: As her name suggests, Electro sports a lightning motif, with her pre-fight profile screen, complete with lightning-infused fists crackling away, looking like something straight out of Mortal Kombat.
Fire
Portrayed by: Montell Douglas
From: London
Height: 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Background: Olympic bobsleigh and sprinting Champion
Entry theme: "Stop This Flame" – Celeste
"Fire is a fireball, a firecracker. She is a bundle of laughs and fierceness."
- Playing with Fire: Fire has, well, a fire motif. Played with in the opening credits and profile screens, which present Fire as if she has superpowers, throwing a small fireball from her hands. Like the other titular Gladiators, she's a very competent athlete — but she does not, in fact, have superpowers.
- Projectile Kiss: Her introductory posing includes her blowing a 'flaming kiss' to the audience.
Fury
Portrayed by: Jodie Ounsley
From: West Yorkshire
Height: 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m)
Background: England Rugby union player
Entry theme: "Bad Habits" – Ed Sheeran and Bring Me the Horizon
"I hope the contenders are ready to feel the Fury!"
- Braids of Action: Sports wild, blonde Desert Punk hair that's half braided, and half hanging loose, enhancing her Viking/Saxon warrior vibe.
- Curb-Stomp Battle: During the finale, Fury goes up against contender Bronte in "The Edge"; within seconds of the whistle blowing, Fury makes a running beeline for Bronte and tackles her down into the net below, scoring her 0 points.
- Face: Among the nicest and most sportsmanlike of all the Gladiators. Fury seemingly always makes a point of complimenting her opponents and making it clear that the contest isn't personal, whether she wins or loses.
- Handicapped Badass: Fury is deaf, has a cochlear implant, and is one of the most powerfully aggressive of the female Gladiators.
- Lightning Bruiser: Fury is the tankiest of the female Gladiators, and as a former Rugby player she's a devastatingly powerful hitter in "Powerball" and "The Ring" (both essentially Rugby but Gladiators-style), participating in the former every time the event occurs.
- Non-Indicative Name: Despite having the implicitly aggressive name Fury, she's easily among the nicest Gladiators of the reboot.
- Patriotic Fervour: Fury is a proud Yorkshire lass, and notes that she takes pride (and strength) from her home county.
- Rugby Is Slaughter: Noted by Bradley in episode 5, after Fury’s Rugby background is fully displayed when she intercepts and slams contender Betti into the mat with a mighty dump tackle during "The Ring" event.
- Taught by Experience: Fury's first few apperances on The Edge she frequently made errors, including one particular tackle the resulted in the contender landing on solid ground while she, attached to the contenders legs, fell through the hole. By the latter half of the season, Fury is clearly far more competant and comfortable on the event.
Giant
Portrayed by: Jamie Christian Johal
From: Derbyshire
Height: 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
Background: Professional bodybuilder and former firefighter
Entry theme: "Giant" – Calvin Harris and Rag'n'Bone Man
"I'm bringing my GIANT stature and personality, so contenders better come prepared!"
- Curb-Stomp Battle: Multiple examples.
- In the first episode, Giant wins his podium "Duel" just two seconds into the contest, sending contender Myles flying before he lands a blow of his own.
- In the third episode, Giant again wins "Duel" in seconds, saying that he knew ex-military contender Finlay would be challenging, so he couldn't risk giving him an opportunity.
- In the second quarterfinal, contender Ash lands a few blows on Giant, who completely no-sells each one. Then Giant takes his turn and blows Ash away in one shot.
- The Dreaded: When it comes to "Duel"; he'll knock a contender off their podium in seconds.
- Face: Giant is one of the "good guy" male Gladiators and is always kind and supportive to the contenders — unlike Heels Legend and Viper.
- Gentle Giant: He's a vast, intimidating man, but is practically never without a smile on his face and always gives the contender a hug after a match.
- The Giant: Giant by name, giant by nature — he's not quite the tallest of the male Gladiators (that's Bionic and Apollo), but he's easily the buffest, with biceps the size of Rugby balls and thighs that could snap a tree.
- Muscles Are Meaningful: That enormous 310 lbs frame isn’t just for show; Giant has a perfect track record in "Duel", sending contenders flying in mere seconds, and is very often the guardian of the final points zone in "Gauntlet" — a position only he and the towering Bionic ever hold.
- Perpetual Smiler: Giant is almost constantly sporting a huge, gleaming white smile and is one of the Nice Guy male Gladiators.
Legend
Portrayed by: Matt Morsia
From: Surrey
Height: 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Background: Bodybuilder, powerlifter, and former PE teacher, long and triple jumper
Entry theme: "The Best" – Tina Turner
"What Legend lacks in empathy, he makes up for in ego."
- Bait-and-Switch Comment: Legend momentarily appears to pay contender Jake a genuine compliment, in terms of him reaching the semis, but then is quickly back to his usual condescending tone, grabbing the mic to wish "congratulations to the loser!"
- The Fighting Narcissist: Legend is hilariously and brilliantly vain, posing, pouting, and preening as he enters the arena and constantly goes on about how amazing he is at any event — even if he performs badly.
- Heel: Legend and Viper take on the mantle of Wolf from the 90s series, and are 2024's "bad-guys", who love trolling the contenders and the crowd in equal measure, and generally behave in a petulant, unsporting manner.
- It's All About Me: After one challenge, when host Barney Walsh wants to talk to him about how a competitor did, Legend's so annoyed that his own performance isn't being discussed that he ends the interview by wrestling the presenter to the mat. Legend later claims in episode 3 that all of the contenders' friends and family are only there to see him perform. In the first semifinal he even takes a jab at his fellow Gladiators after a round of "Gauntlet".There's no "i" in "Team", but there are five in "Individual Brilliance".
- Lightning Bruiser: Legend excels at agility-based events like the precarious "The Edge", and come the second semi-final, he’s managed to take down every single contender he’s pitted against in the event.
- Never My Fault: If things go badly for Legend during a game, he'll resort to making lame excuses — at one point blaming a non-existent flash of light when failing miserably at "The Wall" — when Bradley or Barney catch him for a post-game chat.
- Proud Beauty: A chiselled, handsome man in love with himself — all with his tongue very much in his cheek, of course.
- Smug Snake: Legend is a vain, seemingly dim egotist who describes himself as a cross between David Hasselhoff and Mahatma Gandhi. If a contender beats him, he always has a reason why it's not his fault, and the reason is rarely plausible.
- Sore Loser: Legend blames one loss on "The Wall" on the bad lighting of the arena. He also refuses handshakes — and tackles Barney to the mat when Barney's more interested in talking about a contender's success than Legend's own performance.
- Unsportsmanlike Gloating: Legend gloats even if he loses, and is almost unbearable when he defeats a contender, snatching the mic off of Bradley or Barney to gloat.
Nitro
Portrayed by: Harry Aikines-Aryeetey
From: London
Height: 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Background: Team GB Commonwealth, World, and European champion sprinter
Entry theme: "The Power" – Snap!
"Nitro is pure energy. He's explosive by nature and he does everything with a smile on his face."
- Face: Nitro is amongst the friendliest, most positive male Gladiators, often imparting a positive affirmation when speaking to the crowd post-event. Contender Ash designates him to be the nicest Gladiator of the lot in episode 8.
- Happy Dance: Nitro boogies out into the arena when introduced, and will always bust out the moves when defeating a contender in one-on-one events like "Hang Tough" and "Duel".
- Nice Guy: Nitro is far and away the nicest male Gladiator, always keeping in high spirits and having words of praise for the contenders, win or lose.
- The Speedster: As his name suggests, Nitro, a former champion sprinter, is blindingly fast, making him a formidable opponent in speed-based events like "The Ring" or the cat-and-mouse style event, "The Edge". In the grand final he deliberately waits an extra second or two after the whistle during "The Wall", and still manages to catch up to his contender.
Phantom
Portrayed by: Toby Olubi
From: London
Height: 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
Background: Olympic bobsledder and sprinter
Entry theme: "In for the Kill (Let's Get Ravey remix)" – La Roux (remix by Skream)
"Phantom is a mysterious, elusive character that is a hybrid of all the other Gladiators."
- Head-Turning Beauty: During the first quarter-final, Wesley says that Phantom is a "good-looking lad", so he was distracted when up close and personal during "Duel". It gets a laugh from the audience.
- In the Hood: His custom uniform incorporates a cowl, which is always pulled over his face as he enters the arena, which lends him a sense of intrigue and mystery. This applies to his emblem as well, being of a hooded, obscured face.
- Not So Above It All: Despite having a whole mysterious, hooded persona, Phantom is not against breaking out a dance routine after winning rounds of "Duel" or teaming up with Nitro.
- The Quiet One: In keeping with his mysterious, hooded persona, Phantom maintains an air of aloofness, rarely speaking to the camera.
- Suspiciously Similar Substitute: As a quietly intimidating, rarely-heard Black man, he's 2024's equivalent to Shadow from the 90s series.
Sabre
Portrayed by: Sheli McCoy
From: Dundee
Height: 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m)
Background: British Weightlifting and Crossfit Championships champion
Entry theme: "Let's Go" – Zayde Wolf
"Sabre is playful, athletic, energetic, but with a killer instinct!"
- Animal Motifs: The Smilodon (sabre-toothed tiger), with her intro screen featuring a bellowing roar.
- Can't Get Away with Nuthin': Furious with her lacklustre performance against the first contender in episode 6’s "Gauntlet", when facing the second contender, Sabre hurls her blocker pads aside and tackles the contender to the floor with her bare hands. Referee Mark Clattenburg immediately disqualifies Sabre from the event.
- Head-Turning Beauty: When she's interviewed after "The Ring" challenge in episode three, contender Alex mentions that Sabre was distractingly good looking.Alex: I will say, you want to hate her, but she's so good-looking. I was mesmerised for a second, lost in her eyes.
- Jack of All Trades: Sabre is a real all-rounder and competes in all events bar "Collision" in the first season.
- Ms. Fanservice: Sabre is the most overtly sexy of the female Gladiators, strutting out into the arena with a provocative sashay and pulling a Boobs-and-Butt Pose before she strides off to compete.
- Murderous Thighs: In the "Hang Tough" game of episode one, Sabre uses her muscular legs to ensnare her opponent before bouncing up and down to power-bomb them into the net below.
- Rebellious Spirit: Whilst none of the female Gladiators could be classed as a Heel, like Legend and Viper are amongst the men, Sabre does display a defiant, roguish quality, and as the series progresses, she becomes more mischievous and testing — as seen when she hurls her blocker pads aside during "Guantlet" and tackles the contender with her bare hands, which leads to her immediate disqualification. After the contender wins full points in the event, all she has to say on the matter afterwards is a wry, reluctant "well done..."
- Sore Loser: After being shaken off "The Wall" in the first semifinal, she doesn't give an interview at the end, opting to hiss like a cat and storm off. The locker room cam then shows her screaming in frustration and cursing her performance.
- Wrestler in All of Us: Sabre proves her mettle in episode one, at one point suplexing her contender opponent out of the scoring zone during "The Ring" event.
Steel
Portrayed by: Zack George
From: Leicestershire
Height: 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Background: Crossfit athlete
Entry theme: "Pass Out" — Tinie Tempah
"Steel is Mr Nice Guy. He’s always smiling and very friendly, but when the game starts, he's an absolute machine."
- Face: Steel is a self-described "Mr Nice Guy", and is a cheerful, generally upbeat presence amongst the male Gladiators.
- Metallic Motifs: Steel is as strong as the metal he's named for.
- Pun: Some jokes are made when he goes up against a contender from Sheffield, the filming location for the series, also known as "the city of steel".
Viper
Portrayed by: Quang Luong
From: Surrey
Height: 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Background: Bodybuilder and boxer
Entry theme: "Trouble's Coming" – Royal Blood
"[Grunt]"
- Animal Motifs: The viper, of course, a deadly poisonous snake.
- Cheaters Never Prosper:
- In episode three, when Viper tries Deliberately Jumping the Gun in "Duel", he's immediately reprimanded, the contender's Ring Out is overturned, and the challenge is restarted. Viper then gets immediately flattened in a Curb-Stomp Battle as the contender gets some payback.
- In episode eight, Viper deliberately pins contender Ash to the arena floor during "The Ring", refusing to release him despite multiple commands from the assistant referees. When the event is finally stopped, Viper is given a formal warning.
- Deliberately Jumping the Gun: In episode three's "Duel" challenge, perpetually angry Viper lashes out before the referee starts the clock, knocking the surprised contender off his podium. The referee intervenes, warns Viper and restarts the challenge. Without the sneak attack advantage, the contender easily wins and Viper falls from his podium within seconds.
- Establishing Character Moment: Viper debuts in the very first episode's "Collision" challenge. He swiftly cements his Heel role by abandoning the rings he's supposed to swing back and forth from, dropping down to directly wrestle a contender instead. He's promptly disqualified for cheating and there's a glimpse of him getting very close and personal with the referee immediately afterwards. He remains menacingly silent throughout all of this.
- Hair-Trigger Temper: Viper is constantly in a rage even before competing, and when things don't go his way, he'll march back to the locker room seething with silent fury.
- Heel: Viper is deliberately the meanest, most unsporting male Gladiator, and loves to wind up the contenders and crowd with his antics. He's seemingly always in rage, storming off set if he performs badly, and speaks only in a series of monotone grunts.
- Perpetual Frowner: Viper never drops his permanently furious, intense look.
- The Quiet One: Viper is a brute with anger issues who barely speaks. When he does get to talk, it's mostly Hulk Speak. The profile screen commentary in one episode mentions that he describes himself as "silent but deadly". He finally speaks clearly in the first semifinal, when he tells Barney to "stop the waffling" during the interview after "Powerball".
- Sore Loser: Viper destroys Bradley's microphone whilst being interviewed about his poor performance. There's also a glimpse of him getting very close and personal, glowering at the referee, after he's disqualified from "Collision".
