JOE MARLER JOINS GLADIATORS AS FIRST CELEBRITY GLADIATOR

Former England rugby star Joe Marler has joined the BBC game show Gladiators as the first celebrity to take on the role of a Gladiator. Marler will compete under the name Mauler and will face off against contestants in special appearances during the upcoming series. The show is hosted by Bradley and Bradley Walsh and Barney Walsh, and tests contestants' speed, power, endurance and agility against elite athletes.

Marler, 36, will appear alongside existing Gladiators including Apollo, Comet, Diamond, Nitro and Dynamite. The BBC released a first look image of Marler's suit displayed with other Gladiators' outfits in the Sheffield arena. Since retiring from professional rugby, Marler has pursued a career in television and has previously appeared on shows including Michael McIntyre's The Wheel, Blankety Blank and Football Aid 2026.

A spin-off version of Gladiators has previously featured celebrity contestants including Vogue Williams, Joe Wicks, Rob Beckett and Joel Dommett, though Marler is the first to join the main show as a Gladiator rather than as a competing contestant. The BBC has described Marler's appearances as "packed with power, personality and plenty of surprises".