Gladiators star Wolf revealed the stars of the original series were issued a stern warning about their future on the show – but he wasn’t.
The hit series, which recently returned to BBC One, first aired in 1992 with Ulrika Jonsson and John Fashanu as co-presenters. During the show’s original run, there was no gladiator quite like Wolf, real name Michael Van Wijk.
The now 70-year-old managed to get the crowd going the minute he set foot into the arena and was one of the few stars who remained on the show throughout its entire run until January 2000. Being an immediate favourite amongst fans proved to be a blessing, but also a curse.
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In an exclusive chat with Daily Star, Mike revealed that his future on the series was always safe, but other gladiators didn’t have the same security. He explained: “The gladiators were told that if they didn’t perform well, they wouldn’t be in the next series.
(Image: REX/Shutterstock)
“So there was pressure on them which was really sad. Whereas a lot of the gladiators would say to me, ‘It’s alright for you. There’s no pressure on you because whether you win or lose, fans love it.”
His co-stars claimed there was less pressure on Wolf because bosses would always want him for the next series. He added: “It was the same with Jet – anyone who was a crowd favourite would be kept on and the rest would have to flight for places.”
Three years after Gladiators hit screens, the stars travelled to Australia to film a spin-off. Gladiators: The Ashes saw contenders take on a combination of gladiators from the UK and Australian series.
(Image: LWT)
When it came to fighting for a place, Mike admitted both he and Jet – real name Diane Youdale – nabbed the first two spots with ease. He recalled: “I remember when we were told about The Ashes in Australia and there were eight places up for grabs.
“Saracen stood up and said, ‘Why don’t you be totally, totally honest. There’s six places up for grabs. You’re telling me that they’re not going to take Wolf and Jet?’ They said that the Australian’s requested us.”
Mike declared: “Sometimes it was to your advantage but sometimes you were at a disadvantage.” Due to their popularity with both the audience and bosses, the other gladiators would often ask Wolf and Jet to raise queries in meetings.
(Image: ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
“They wanted us to be their spokesperson if they were unhappy with something because they thought we could say what we like,” the bodybuilder said. “They only asked because they thought we couldn’t be sacked for it.”
Wolf was often described as the loveable baddie who the audience loved to hate. Mike confessed that no matter how he performed on the day, his main priority was making the experience enjoyable for the audience.
“I always tried to make it so the crowd enjoyed it. From the get-go I wanted to be an entertainer,” the star said. “Regardless if I won or lost, they would be entertained and that way I made a connection with the audience.”
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
