The first of the Gladiators semi-finals will air on BBC tonight (Saturday, March 9) as four  contenders attempt to book a place in the grand final.

The show returned to TV screens across the UK for the first time in nearly 24 years in January with a new batch on Gladiators and challenges (as well as a few of the classic games).

Father and son duo Bradley (The Chase) and Barney Walsh have taken on presenting duties on the new series of Gladiators which was filmed at the Utilita Arena in Sheffield.

The original series of Gladiators aired on ITV between 1992 and 2000 and hasn't been seen until the BBC reboot.

Who are the new Gladiators?

There are 16 new Gladiators on the BBC reboot that contenders must deal with.

The new Gladiators (and their real names) are:

  • Apollo (Alex Gray)
  • Athena (Karenjeet Kaur Bains)
  • Bionic (Matty Campbell)
  • Comet (Ella-Mae Rayner)
  • Diamond (Livi Sheldon)
  • Dynamite (Emily Steel)
  • Electro (Jade Packer)
  • Fire (Montell Douglas)
  • Fury (Jodie Ounsley)
  • Giant (Jamie Christian Johal)
  • Legend (Matt Morsia)
  • Nitro (Harry Aikines-Aryeetey)
  • Phantom (Toby Olubi)
  • Sabre (Sheli McCo)
  • Steel (Zack George)
  • Viper (Quang Luong)

The three new referees for the series are Sonia Mkoloma, Lee Phillips and ex-Premier League Football referee Mark Clattenburg.

While voiceover commentary on the show is done by Guy Mowbray, who the BBC describes as "one of the most recognisable voices in top flight football".

What time is Gladiators on TV tonight?

Four contenders will face the Gladiators again in tonight's semi-final as well as five "brutal" events before going head-to-head on the eliminator in attempt to earn a spot in the grand final.

Gladiators will air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer tonight (Saturday, March 9) at 5.50pm and will run until 6.50pm.

Second Gladiators semi-final re-scheduled

Fans will have to wait two weeks for the next Gladiators semi-final after tonight's episode.

While the first semi-final will air as usual tonight (March 9), the second instalment on March 16 has been pushed back to make way for the Manchester City vs Newcastle FA Cup match.

RECOMMENDED READING:

This means the second semi-final is likely to take place on Saturday, March 23, leaving a two-week gap between episodes.

Gladiators is not the only show to have experienced a schedule change as a result of the FA Cup in recent months.

The tournament, along with the ongoing 2024 Guinness Six Nations, has impacted a number of shows including the likes of Coronation Street, EastEnders and The Masked Singer.