A contestant on Gladiators revealed what Bradley and Barney Walsh are like in real life. The father-son duo took over the presenting of Gladiators when it returned to screens in 2024.

The original show ran from 1992 to 2000, with Ulrika and John Fashanu fronting the beloved competition for a large part of its run. Viewers were delighted when it was announced the programme would be making a return, along with a fresh batch of contenders ready to take on the next generation of superhumans.

Bradley, 64, and Barney, 27, became an instant hit with viewers, and it appears the same can be said for those who compete in the gruelling series.

Finley Burkitt appeared on the first episode of the rebooted series in 2024 and put on an exciting show as he took on the gladiators.

Despite suffering a nasty injury while competing in Gauntlet, the feisty contestant from Doncaster, South Yorkshire, managed to make it through to the quarter-finals.

Speaking on Reddit about his experience on the show, Finley was asked what Bradley and Barney are like when the cameras aren’t rolling. He responded: “They were both great, I don’t think people realise how much effort they put in. They knew the ins and outs of every contender, so when it came to the recordings it all went silky smooth!”

Finley also shared more backstage secrets, revealing how the gladiators act behind the scenes. When asked if Viper is secretly nice, he said: “He was very quiet backstage, barely said a word even then. He was certainly playing his part perfectly!”

While the contenders go up against the gladiators in a variety of games, Bradley and Barney revealed they are banned from taking part in any events.

Speaking on The Chris Evans Breakfast Show, the pair revealed that show bosses go to extreme lengths stopping them trying the challenges. When asked if they’ve had a go, Barney responded: “No, no and I wish I got to because I’d love to have a go at that stuff.

“They won’t let us, because of insurance. I would love to have a go at the Eliminator. I think that’s such an exciting thing to do… the zip line from the top to the bottom I think that’s so cool.”

The duo were then asked they can use the infamous pugil sticks, used in events like Duel. “No, we can’t do any of it,” Barney declared. The Chase presenter Bradley added: “They won’t let you up on the podium, even though there’s crash mats.”

Barney went on to explain: “In fact, so much so they do the games rehearsals and the events rehearsals without us and they bring us in after. So they do all of that with the Gladiators and then they bring us in so that we don’t have time to do it even if we wanted to.”