GLADIATORS TEASE BRADLEY & BARNEY WALSH REUNITE — AND FANS DIDN’T SEE THIS COMING They call it “special”… But what they’ve revealed has everyone talking.

Bradley & Barney Walsh gush about ‘special’ TV reunion ahead of Gladiators comeback

Bradley and Barney Walsh have spoken about their upcoming TV reunion and described it as “special”.

The father and son duo are set to return to screens this weekend with the new series of Gladiators.

Ahead of the series comeback, the pair have shared sweet sentiments about working together again.

Bradley has said being back in front of the camera and hosting the show again with his son is “brilliant”.

Bradley and Barney Walsh will reunite on screen this weekend in Gladiators (Credit: BBC)

Bradley and Barney Walsh’s TV reunion

This is the third time Bradley, 65, and 28-year-old Barney will have presented the BBC’s Gladiators together.

And the novelty is definitely not wearing off.

Bradley says ahead of the show’s return: “Seeing the Gladiators push themselves, seeing the Contenders push themselves, the crowd going wild, and doing it all with Barney by my side is just brilliant.

“We have an absolute blast every time we’re in the arena.”

Barney agrees and says both the atmosphere and working with his father never gets old.

He chips in: “I absolutely love everything about it – the Contenders giving it their all, the Gladiators going full throttle, and the crowd in the arena are always absolutely buzzing.

“Being part of that, and doing it alongside my Dad, makes it really special. It’s loud, fun, and just a brilliant show to be part of.”

Gladiators unveils new event called Destruction

Bradley and Barney’s sweet sentiments come as the show unveils its brand new event called Destruction.

The challenge has been billed as “fast and fierce”, with two Contenders going head to head in a brutal race to the finish.

Each Contender must stick to their own lane while smashing through a series of towering 8ft barriers.
The contenders and one Gladiator will smash through the race event (Credit: BBC)
One barrier has to be taken down using pure body power, while another must be smashed through with a battering ram. There is also a climb involved before the final sprint.

The first Contender to hit the buzzer at the end of the course wins. But, as ever with Gladiators, there is a catch.

One Gladiator is unleashed mid event and will do everything possible to slow both Contenders down. Expect mayhem.

Bradley and Barney have shared their excitement over Destruction.

“We’ve got three new events that really raise the stakes, testing both the Gladiators and Contenders in completely different ways,” Bradley says.

He adds: “There are definitely a few surprises in store, with some unbelievable edge of your seat moments.”

Barney agrees: “We have two brand new events for this series which were so thrilling to watch in the arena, I think the viewers are going to love them.

“One really tests both the Gladiator and Contender strength, the other is the perfect event for when you need to let out some aggression and release your energy… I’m looking at you, Viper.

“We also have a third event which is the return of an original and I think people will be glad to have it back.”
Bradley and Barney say working together is ‘special’ (Credit: BBC)

When is Gladiators back?

The brand new series of Gladiators kicks off this Saturday, January 17, 2026.

The show starts at 5.45pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. Fans can enjoy a full hour of action from Sheffield Arena until 6.45pm.

Viewers will also see the return of Nitro, real name Harry Aikines Aryeetey, after he was forced to leave series 2 with a painful knee injury. He has now fully recovered.

Also back in action this series are Apollo, Athena, Bionic, Comet, Cyclone, Diamond, Dynamite, Electro, Fire, Fury, Giant, Hammer, Legend, Nitro, Phantom, Sabre, Steel and Viper. Yes, that Viper.

Gladiators, ready. Viewers, ready. It is almost time.