Gladiators’ Bionic was involved in a car accident that left him with career-ending injuries.
The bodybuilder, real name Matty Campbell, was one of the 16 stars who signed up for the show’s reboot, now shown on BBC One. But before getting his big break on the hit game show, Matty’s attention was on football.
He excelled in the sport during school and reached academy level due to his impressive talent. However, Matty’s dreams were shattered when he was involved in a car accident.
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The injuries he sustained in the crash shattered his dreams of becoming a professional footballer. He began spending more time in the gym due to physio and quickly found a new passion in bodybuilding.
(Image: Jam Press/BBC)
“I’ve had a lot of injuries in the past, I’ve torn biceps and things, and I always come back very quickly and surprise doctors left, right and centre,” he told The Sun. “All of that and my 6ft 6in height got me the name Bionic. I’m never scared of getting hurt – we’re there to entertain and it’s part and parcel of being Gladiators.
Opening up about the crash, Matty added: “The injuries I had [from the car accident] led me into the gym to do my rehab and stuff and from there I got into bodybuilding and I got addicted very quickly. The rest is history and I’ve never looked back.”
(Image: matty___campbell / Instagram)
It comes after John Fashanu blasted the reboot, agreeing that the show had gone “woke” following it’s return to screens. The 61-year-old hosted the original programme alongside Ulrika Jonsson for the majority of its run throughout the 90s.
The presenter spoke to GB News on behalf of luckyblock.com and shared his take on the new series. “Oh definitely! Definitely! This is not gladiators!” he responded when asked if the show had gone “woke” and was attempting to please fans.
(Image: Peter Brooker/REX/Shutterstock)
He continued: “The dress which everybody wore was agreed that everyone would wear the same thing, that was part of the fun of the show! That was why at one stage we were getting 18 million viewers globally, that is crazy!
John added: “So I do think that is a small problem! I think that it is not quite the same as what it was before, but then of course if it is not going to change in our time then it must be a problem.”
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
