FOUR Gladiators pick up nasty injuries whilst filming new series
Filming for the new series began last month
As well as announcing the first ever Gladiators UK tour, BBC bosses were quick to renew the hit entertainment show for a third series, which will land in early 2026. Filming for series three took place between July-August, but it seems not everything went to plan, as four of the show's super-human athletes picked up nasty injuries.
During filming, Athena, Legend, Diamond and Bionic all got injured, putting the show in chaos at Sheffield's Utilita Arena.
Gladiator Legend, real name Matt Morsia, took to Instagram from his hospital bed to reveal he tore his distal bicep tendon off the bone. He told fans: 'A few weeks ago I tore my distal bicep tendon off the bone whilst filming Gladiators 🥲
'Surgery went really well and I’m gonna be back in no time because I’m a genetic freak, but I’ll be honest & say the last three weeks have easily been the worst of my life. I had intense post-operative sickness, didn’t eat for 12 days, and lost around 15kg in bodyweight. You can watch my YouTube video for more detail, but for now I’m off to eat some pizza and do some 1kg bicep curls 🫡
'p.s. massive shoutout to @smorsia for literally staying by my side 24/7 the whole time. Absolute hero & wouldn’t have made it through without you ❤️'. (sic)
Liv Sheldon, who is Diamond on the show, also took to Instagram to announce she's ruptured both her ACL and MCL whilst filming.
She wrote: 'Hey Tribe 🩵 I’ve got a life update — and unfortunately, it’s not the news I was hoping to share 🥲
'While filming Gladiators, i suffered a full ACL and MCL rupture. One moment I was in full action, the next I was facing surgery and a brand-new challenge: recovery ❤️🩹
'It’s never easy hitting pause on something you love, but this isn’t the end of my journey — it’s just a detour. I’ve been through tough battles before, and every time I’ve come back stronger and this time is no different 💪🏼.
'I’m going to need all the support I can get, and I’ll be sharing this journey with you every step of the way. If my experience can help even one person facing their own challenges, it’ll make this journey even more meaningful.
'Now, after having my surgery, I’m ready to attack this rehab with everything I’ve got & more because being unbreakable is more than strength or how powerful you are — it’s about how you rise after you fall. And every step I take now is building the comeback that will define me.
'It’s never about the setback - it’s always about the comeback 🩵💎'. (sic)
As well as Legend and Diamond, during filming Bionic (Matty Campbell) dislocated his shoulder on the show, whilst Athena (Karenjeet Kaur Bains) picked up an injury to her knee.
Following two successful rebooted series on the BBC, bosses confirmed earlier this year the show would return for a third, as well as a second celebrity special, which will air around Christmas time.
Hits Radio presenter Sam Thompson will compete in the special against Joe Wicks MBE, Nicola Adams OBE and Vogue Williams.
Check out all of the Gladiators below:
Giant (Jamie Christian Johal)
Giant is former firefighter turned bodybuilder. At 6ft 5inches tall, he made history by becoming one of the all-time tallest bodybuilders.
Bionic (Matty Campbell)
At 6ft 6in tall, Bionic gets his name from his huge frame! Bionic found a love for bodybuilding after a car crash ended his dreams of being a professional footballer.
Fury (Jodie Ounsley)
Fury is a professional rugby player! She is the first ever deaf Gladiator.
Comet (Ella-Mae Rayner)
Comet is a former elite gymnast and diver, who also has a degree in Sports Science. She currently works as a fitness model and coach and trains six times per week. Unfortunately, Comet was forced to pull out of series one due to injury.
Electro (Jade Packer)
As a former sprinter, Electro was ranked among the Top 10 Fastest Runners in the UK for 150m at the age of just 12. She's now part of the International Fitness and Bodybuilding Federation.
Phantom (Toby Olubi)
As well as being a sprinter, Phantom appeared at the 2018 Winter Olympics with the Team GB Bobsleigh team where they broke the world record for the fastest ever bobsleigh at 97 mph.
Dynamite (Emily Steel)
As the youngest Gladiator in the line-up, Dynamite has history in swimming, and now she's a full-time elite CrossFit athlete.
Viper (Quang Luong)
Viper has appeared in a number of movies, including James Bond! He also works as a fitness model and a bodybuilder.
Apollo (Alex Gray)
Apollo started his career playing rugby under 16s and moved onto the Premiership and then England 7s team. He captained English Rugby teams for 16's, 18's and 20's.
He was scouted to go to NFL for his skillset, making him the first British rugby player to transfer over to the NFL. Signed for Atlanta Falcons and then became the first international player to Captain an NFL team.
Athena (Karenjeet Kaur Bains)
As well as being an Chartered Accountant, Athena has represented Great Britain at the World and European Championships, and holds the Guinness World Record for the most bodyweight squats in a minute.
Diamond (Livi Sheldon)
Diamond is a 6ft bodybuilder. After graduating with a degree in Sports Science, she took up bodybuilding, becoming a British Finalist 'England Toned Figure'.
Fire (Montell Douglas)
Fire is a former Team GB sprinter and Olympic bobsledder. She has previously held the British women's record for the 100m sprit at 11.05 seconds and made sporting history by becoming the first female UK athlete to compete at both the Summer and Winter Olympic Games. Montell won Commonwealth Gold in the 4 x 100m relay in 2010 and won a European under-23 silver medal in the 100m.
Legend (Matt Morsia)
Legend is a former international long and triple jumper and silver medal winning powerlifter. After retiring from competition, Matt became a fitness influencer and YouTuber, having amassed over 355 million views. In 2020, he released his first book called 'The 24/7 Body.'
Sabre (Sheli McCoy)
Sabre is a fierce, powerful and agile athlete who trains for 16-19 hours per week! She has competed in five British Weightlifting Championships events and numerous CrossFit championships all over the world and has simultaneously been Scottish champion in both sports. Sabre runs her own gym in Dundee, hoping to inspire future generations to reach their full fitness potential.
Unfortunately, Sabre was forced to pull out due to injury.
Nitro (Harry Aikines Aryeetey)
Nitro is a Team GB sprinter who has competed at the highest level. His long list of achievements include: 2 x Olympian, 3 x European Champion, 2x Commonwealth Champion, 1x Commonwealth Silver Medallist, 1x European Bronze Medallist, 1x World Bronze Medallist, 1x British Champion, 2x World Youth Champion, 1x World Junior Champion.
Steel (Zack George)
Steel is a CrossFit champion who also won the title of the UK's Fittest Man in 2020.
Cyclone (Lystus Ebosele)
Lystus is a classic powerlifter who represents Ireland.
Hammer (Tom Wilson)
Tom is an indoor rower who won the 2024 British Indoor Rowing Championships.
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