Gladiators star Wolf unrecognisable as he appears on Good Morning Britain
His son is following in his footsteps
With news that 90s TV show Gladiators is making an emphatic return to our TV screens in 2023, it's fair to say there's some serious nostalgia going around for the former stars.
If you tuned into the Saturday night entertainment show when it aired between 1992-2000, you'll remember Gladiators such as Blaze, Jet, Lightning, Hunter and of course, the show's 'bad boy' Wolf.
Now, 20 years on, Wolf, real name Michael Van Wijk, has appeared on Good Morning Britain revealing his son has applied for the rebooted series due in 2023!
Looking completely unrecognisable with a bald head, Wolf is now 70-years-old, and despite no longer having his long locks, he certainly hasn't lost his competitiveness.
Speaking about the reboot and if he'd like to return, Wolf said: "To be honest I could do all the games comfortably.
"I would also like to be like you guys and be a co-presenter as well. I have never missed a show in the whole eight series."
Speaking about his son, Wolf added: "We train at different gyms but we are very very competitive."
News of Gladiators' revival was first announced in August, with BBC bosses confirming the rebooted series will include classic challenges, as well as a whole host of new games with a brand new set of superhuman athletes.
Kate Phillips, the BBC’s director of unscripted, said: “Gladiators is back and a whole new generation of viewers can now look forward to watching a Saturday night spectacle like no other.
“Will the contenders have the will and the skill to succeed against our mighty new Gladiators? You’ll have to tune in to find out.”
Check out which other TV shows we'd love to see the return of:
Footballers' Wives
Broadcasting between 2002-2006, Footballers' Wives followed fictional Premier League football club Earls Park, as well as all of the drama from both the players and their fiery wives!
Bad Girls
Set inside a fictional women's prison, Bad Girls aired on ITV between 1996-2006 and featured some very famous faces, including Claire King and Debra Stephenson.
Benidorm
Airing for a huge 10 series between 2007 and 2018, ITV/STV sitcom Benidorm was a huge hit with fans. Ever since the show ended, fans have been begging creator Derren Litten to create more.
The Bill
First broadcast in 1983, police drama The Bill certainly proved popular, airing until 2010. The show focused on the lives and work of police officers and starred well-known actors such as Trudie Goodwin, Graham Cole and Mark Wingett.
Don't Try This At Home
Who remembers sitting down in front of the TV on a Saturday night, watching on as Davina McCall helped members of the public take on tough and fearful challenges?
This needs to come back!
Sabrina the Teenage Witch
She was confident, funny, magical AND she had a talking cat. Sabrina made us all want to be a witch!
The show was also rebooted between 2018 and 2020 as a Netflix series called Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.
Ugly Betty
Believe it or not, it's been a massive 16 years since Ugly Betty last aired on our screens! The show, which featured actress America Ferrera, followed a character called Betty Suarez, who despite her lack of 'style', landed a job at a very prestigious fashion magazine.
Where The Heart Is
The British drama, which was filmed in the Yorkshire town of Skelthwaite, proved very popular with viewers between 1997-2006, showcasing the lives of a group of district nurses and their families.
It's a Knockout
It was stupid, it was crazy, but it was certainly fun! It's a Knockout started way back in 1966, but the show made a number of returns on BBC, Channel 4 and Channel 5!
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
We'd love to see Will Smith get back into his character alongside Carlton Banks, however we got the next best thing earlier this year, with the Fresh Prince reboot called Bel Air, which was released earlier this year where Jabari Banks played Will Smith.
Stars In Their Eyes
A true classic! Stars In Their Eyes, originally hosted by Leslie Crowther, first aired in 1990 with Matthew Kelly taking over in 1993. The show did make a return with Harry Hill in 2015, but it didn't quite take off!
The Queen's Nose
Who would have thought that rubbing a 50p coin would be so interesting? We used to love watching the adventures of Harmony as she used up her magic wishes.
Gossip Girl
Although the show was given a reboot in 2021 with a brand new cast, it didn't live up to expectations of the original series, which aired between 2007-2012.
Fun House
We used to love watching two schools battle each other in three rounds of madness. Bring back the gunge and Pat Sharp's crazy hairstyles!
Grange Hill
Despite being at school all day, we loved to come home and watch other people be at school. Strange. But gripping story lines and relatable characters had us glued to our screens.
London's Burning
Airing between 1988 and 2002, London's Burning documented the lives of a fictional London Fire Brigade Blue Watch at the fictional Blackwall fire station.
The Big Bang Theory
The Big Bang Theory was on TV from 2007 until 2019. The show centred around two physicists who shared an apartment, Johnny Galecki as Leonard Hofstadter and Jim Parsons as Sheldon Cooper, and their friendship with Penny, played by Kaley Cuoco, who lived opposite.
Game of Thrones
Game of Thrones lasted for eight seasons between 2011 – 2019. The show starred Sean Bean as Eddard 'Ned' Stark and Kit Harington as Jon Snow.
House of Dragons is the new prequel but we really wish we'd have gotten more (or another ending) to the original Game of Thrones TV show. Who knows, maybe when the last book is out they might make some more episodes…
Gladiators originally aired on ITV between 1992 and 2000 with hosts Ulrika Jonsson and John Fashanu.
The hit show featured games such as Wall, Danger Zone, Swingshot, Hang Tough and Duel, as well as the infamous final Eliminator.
Gladiators is set to return in 2023.
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