Gladiators legend Wolf has revealed he wants to present the reboot of the classic show, saying: “What’s missing is me.”
The revived series – which sees contenders take on super-fit Gladiators in tests of speed and strength – is being filmed in May and June at Sheffield’s Utilita Arena and will be broadcast on BBC One.
And while Bradley Walsh and his son Barney are on board as presenters, the former star reckons there’s a Wolf-shaped hole.
READ MORE: Gladiators star Michael Wilson would drink ‘six pints of Guinness’ before show
He says: “The thing is me being a modest guy, I think what’s missing in the new series is me. So I’d love to come back and co-present it if they let me. Can you imagine people tuning in to see the old Wolf?”
(Image: ITV)
Now 70 and living in New Zealand, Wolf – real name Michael Van Wijk – was one of the biggest baddies on TV in the 90s.
His personal trainer son Dean, 34, has applied to be on the revamped show and Michael hopes the connection will prove an advantage.
“Hopefully it’ll get a foot in the door,” says Michael. “He’s got my sense of humour, my remarks.
(Image: ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
“I’m very fortunate in the opportunity it gave me and I hope it will give an opportunity to Dean too and carry on from where I left off because chances like this don’t come along very often.”
Dean has already experienced the thrill of the show after being taken to Birmingham’s National Indoor Arena as a child.
Michael says: “He had a little Gladiator outfit on and I put him on my shoulders and I ran around the arena. He couldn’t believe the adulation.
(Image: Press Association)
“I think from that point on he wanted to be a Gladiator when he grew up. I didn’t know in my wildest dreams that 30 years later they’d bring the show back again.”
One big difference from the 90s is social media. Michael – who was reportedly knocked out of the reality TV version of Squid Game last week – says: “The thing about Gladiators is that social media wasn’t around when I did it.
“Because 13 million viewers watched it, can you imagine how much following you would have had with social media being around?”
Michael was 40 when he joined the show in 1992 and 48 when it finished in 2000.
He says: “We did three shows a day sometimes.
“You’re doing them back to back and you have fresh contenders coming out but you’re been there all day.
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Gladiators will return to BBC One and BBC iPlayer in 2023.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
