'Gladiators' Stage Reunion For ITV's 'The Saturday Night Story', And Here's What They Look Like Now (PICS)
The 'Gladiators' Have Reunited, And Here's What They Look Like Now!
Daniel Welsh— The Huffington Post UK
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Nostalgia fans will be pleased to see that the cast of Saturday night staple ‘Gladiators' have reunited for a brand new TV special.
For those who don’t remember the golden days of ‘Gladiators’, the long-running ITV featured teams of contestants battling it out, against a team of the so-called ‘Gladiators’ (a load of buff, coiffed and spandex-clad people who were adept at important tasks like running along a travelator, swinging off a rope and knocking people off a beam).
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The 'Gladiators' as you might remember them
Some of our old faves from the show, including Wolf, Hunter and Jet, have now staged a reunion, and the years have been kind to them, by the looks of things.
They were joined by presenter Ulrika Jonsson and fan-favourite, referee John Anderson, famed for his chat about being “ready” and going on his “first h-whistle”.
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And here's what they look like now
Ulrika said: “For me this is really, really nostalgic because ‘Gladiators’ was a huge part of my life.
“I haven't been back here since... I guess it must have been 1999, so it feels very strange.”
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Amazing
The reunion - held at the Birmingham arena where many an episode of ‘Gladiators’ was filmed - was in aid of ‘The Saturday Night Story’, a new special, fronted by Stephen Mulhern, looking back on some of the best shows to grace Saturday night telly over the year.
It will also feature contributions from ‘Family Fortunes’ presenter Vernon Kay, ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ judge Alesha Dixon and the latter-day kings of Saturday night telly, Ant and Dec.
A reboot of ‘Gladiators’ previously aired on Sky1 - featuring none other than David McIntosh, as his alter-ego, Tornado - but it didn’t last long before the channel pulled the plug.
'The Saturday Night Story' airs on Saturday, 15 August on ITV.
30 Great Things About Growing Up In 1990s Britain
Computer consoles(01 of11)
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The Game Boy. The PlayStation. The SEGA Mega Drive. Suddenly, we never needed to talk to our parents ever again. Except to ask them for one of these for Christmas. (credit:Getty)
Pogs(02 of11)
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Yes, the game of cardboard discs originated in Hawaii in the 1920s - but in the 1990s it really came into its commercialised, addictive own. In fact, Pogs were so popular, some schools banned them. Boooo! (credit:Getty)
Great hair accessories(03 of11)
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Scrunchies, Alice bands, bandanas, butterfly clips and, yes, headbands worn like Casualty's Emma Bird on the left there. The 1990s were THE decade for covering up/tying back/sticking stuff in your hair. (credit:PA)
Personal CD players(04 of11)
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Suddenly, you could listen to novelty pop singles anywhere! (credit:Getty)
Super Soakers(05 of11)
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Suddenly, the question 'Do you want a water fight?' was a LOT more interesting. Fairy Liquid bottles be damned - this was the real, Schwarzenegger-style deal. (credit:Getty)
Combat trousers(06 of11)
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As worn by every man, woman and child. But mostly: All Saints.
The Brit Awards(07 of11)
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The '90s were the Brits heyday: Jarvis Cocker vs Michael Jackson, Chumbawamba vs John Prescott, Geri Halliwell in a Union Jack dress. Here are M People accepting a Brit Award in 1994 wearing red AIDS ribbons. It doesn't get more '90s than that. (credit:Getty)
Chokers(08 of11)
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If they were good enough for Princess Diana, they were good enough for the rest of us. Pearls were a popular choice - see Di here - but as any self-respecting '90s girl knows, black velvet was also more than acceptable. (credit:PA)
Virtual pets(09 of11)
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From the original Tamagotchis to the £5 knock-offs from the local market, no kid's pocket was complete in the 1990s if it didn't contain (a dead) one of these.
Bum bags(10 of11)
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Or as our American cousins called them: fanny packs. Everyone had one - even Mr Motivator here (posing with Cindy Crawford in an attempt to beat our M People-at-the-Brits picture for the title of Most '90s Photo Ever). (credit:PA)
Friends(11 of11)
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The One Which Closes The '90s Slideshow. Yes, they were older than us. And they were American. But they made us aspire to an adult life filled with wisecracks, coffee shops and Jennifer Aniston hairstyles. Could they BE more influential?