Arabic version: تسمية جو مارلر أول «غلادياتور» من المشاهير في بي بي سي

According to BBC News, former England rugby international Joe Marler will become the first celebrity Gladiator on the BBC entertainment series. The 36-year-old will use the on-screen name Mauler and face contenders when the fourth series of Gladiators begins in 2027.

Marler, who appeared in the first series of Celebrity Traitors, announced the news in a video posted on Instagram from the Gladiators dressing room. “Mauler will see you now,” he said. The BBC said he will make his debut through a series of special appearances “packed with power, personality and plenty of surprises”.

Filming for the fourth series is under way in Sheffield, the BBC confirmed. The corporation described Marler as a sporting personality known for his uncompromising style of play and larger-than-life sense of humour, saying he would bring physicality and competitive spirit to one of television’s toughest arenas.

Marler, from Heathfield, Sussex, will join Gladiators including Nitro, Viper, Diamond and Sabre when the programme returns next year. The format originally became a major ITV success in the 1990s, featuring members of the public competing against elite athletes with distinctive on-screen personas. Olympic swimmer Sharron Davies joined that version in 1995 as Amazon.

Gladiators was revived by Sky for two series in 2008 before the current BBC One version launched in 2024 and quickly became a hit. A separate celebrity spin-off is also in development, with contestants including AJ Odudu, Sara Pascoe, Chris Ramsey and George Clarke.