Fighting fit Davina McCall is reportedly at the top of BBC bosses’ wish list for a celebrity Gladiators spin-off.
The former Big Brother host, 56, previously said she was keen to host the sports entertainment game show, but Bradley Walsh and his son Barney were chosen for the reboot, which returned to screens this year.
It is also claimed that producers are hoping to sign up former The Only Way Is Essex star Mark Wright, 37, and ex Made In Chelsea cast member Spencer Matthews, 35.
A TV insider said this The sun: ‘The BBC wants big-name contestants with the kind of strength and agility needed to compete with the intimidating gang of gladiators.
‘Davina is incredibly fit and already seems keen to be involved, even though she has only previously spoken about lending her presentation skills.
Fighting fit Davina McCall is reportedly top of BBC bosses’ wish list for a celebrity Gladiators spin-off (stars of the BBC’s Gladiators reboot with presenters Bradley and Barney Walsh, centre)
The former Big Brother host, 56, previously said she was keen to host the sports-entertainment game show
A TV insider told The Sun: ‘Davina is incredibly fit and already seems keen to be involved, even though she has only previously spoken about lending her presenting skills’
“As for the boys, the producers like the idea of involving the boys to see if their trained muscles are just for show or if they have real muscle power.”
MailOnline has contacted the BBC and representatives for Davina, Mark and Spencer for comment.
Davina has previously introduced herself as frontwoman for the BBC’s Gladiators reboot, with the show originally running on ITV from 1992 to 2000.
In 2019, ITV posted a poll on Twitter asking their followers which of their favorite childhood shows they would like to see back on screens.
‘PARTICIPANTS ARE YOU EEEEEEADY?! (Obv, we say this in the voice of John Anderson),” they wrote, referring to the program’s original referee.
Davina offered herself to present a Gladiators reboot and replied at the time: ‘Bagsy is presenting it.’
Gladiators’ arrival on the prime time Saturday evening program proved to be a ratings winner for the BBC, with 28-day viewing figures showing that 9.8 million people tuned in to the first episode.
The high share of viewers made it the most successful launch of an entertainment show on the BBC in seven years, with an average of 8.3 million viewers across the entire eleven episodes.
It is also claimed that producers are hoping to sign former The Only Way Is Essex star Mark Wright, 37
Mark often shares photos of himself training on social media (seen here after running the London Marathon)
Ex Made In Chelsea cast member Spencer Matthews, 35, is also said to be a favorite with Gladiators bosses
Spencer has transformed his health and lifestyle in recent years after speaking out about his past struggles with alcohol
Its success means Gladiators will return with a second series expected to feature at least one celebrity-led version of the show in 2025, which is usually contested by members of the public.
“I can reveal that we are going to do a celebrity special,” executive producer and director of Hungry Bear Media Dan Baldwin, husband of TV presenter Holly Willoughby, told Radio 4.
‘You always watch old programs that are no longer on television. You’re always coming up with new ways to bring back a show.’
He added: “It’s no exaggeration to say that the response to Gladiators has been phenomenal. The episodes are packed with nail-biting drama, exciting action and enormous emotions.
‘In Series 2 the show goes from strength to strength. We have some great surprises in store for the fans. Are you ready?!?’
Kalpna Patel-Knight, head of entertainment at the BBC, said: ‘Gladiators has really started this year with a bang, and we’re so pleased that fans have flocked to the show.
‘It was great to hear how much families enjoyed watching this together as part of the BBC’s Saturday evening entertainment offering. We can’t wait for more action from the Gladiators.”
Elsewhere, Dom Bird, SVP of Gladiators production company MGM Alternative, International, said: ‘It was incredible to see Gladiators reignite the excitement this show always generated in Britain on Saturday evenings.
‘We’re delighted that a second series has been confirmed for BBC One and BBC iPlayer and we can’t wait to get back into the arena with our partners at Hungry Bear Media and the BBC.’
The show, featuring the new Gladiator Fury (pictured), proved to be a ratings winner for the BBC, with 28-day viewing figures showing 9.8 million people tuned in to watch the first episode
The popular game show originally aired on ITV from 1992 to 2000 before returning for a single series on Sky One in 2008 (presenter Ulrika Jonsson with some of the cast in 1994)
BBC chief Tim Davie had previously included a second series in his list of ‘big priorities’ for this year in a speech to the Royal Television Society.
He said: ‘It does of course mean that, despite budget pressures, we will prioritize big national occasions – from the Coronation, the Eurovision Song Contest, the Proms and Glastonbury, to the Olympics and the European Championships, or Strictly or Gladiators , Children in Need or even that big drama: Election Night.’
Many had predicted that a second series of Gladiators was on the way after it eclipsed the ratings of other shows including Dancing On Ice and The Masked Singer in January.
The popular game show originally aired on ITV from 1992 to 2000, before returning for a single series on Sky One in 2008.
The rebooted show became the most successful launch of an entertainment show on the BBC in seven years, averaging 8.3 million viewers across its entire eleven episodes.