BBC's Gladiators brings immersive experience to Bluewater

Fans of the iconic BBC show Gladiators will soon be able to get up close and personal with the latest generation of superhumans.

An immersive experience where you can meet the stars of the sports entertainment game show and take part in its challenges is taking place at Bluewater Shopping Centre later this month.

Set in the Village Marquee, visitors will be able to try their hand at special versions of popular events, including Hang Tough and Duel.

In addition, guests who meet the one-metre height restriction will be able to battle it out on the inflatable podium.

Meanwhile, those who meet the 1.2-metre height restriction can test their stamina in the Hang Tough events to see if they can outlast their friends – or even a Gladiator.

Dan Cavallo, marketing manager for the BBC, said: “We’re so excited to be bringing our largest scale fan activation yet to Bluewater.

“We are thrilled by the support for S2 of the show, and want to give fans the opportunity to meet the Gladiators and test their mettle in the ‘arena’.”

The event is on a first-come, first-serve basis and will take place from 10am to 5.30pm on the weekend of March 22 and 23. Guests are encouraged to arrive early to secure their spot.

James Waugh, centre director at Bluewater, said: “It is going to be a fantastic opportunity for families to enjoy a free action-packed day out at Bluewater, with the chance to meet some of the cast as well as participating in the challenges.”

Made by Hungry Bear Media and MGM Alternative UK, a division of Amazon MGM Studios, the series made its return on the BBC in early 2024, hosted by Bradley and Barney Walsh.

The current series has introduced new Gladiators, Cyclone and Hammer, alongside fan favourites Apollo, Athena, Bionic, Comet, Diamond, Dynamite, Electro, Fire, Fury, Giant, Nitro, Phantom, Sabre, Steel and Viper.

Among them is also Hythe-born Matt Morsia, a former PE teacher at Folkestone Academy.

Dad-of-two Matt was among the new recruits for series one and has built up quite the fanbase as the self-assured – and some might say arrogant – Legend.

He won the attention of show producers after gaining prominence with his YouTube channel MattDoesFitness, which now has more than 2.3 million subscribers.

And with his hulking frame and tongue-in-cheek humour a fit with viewers, Matt – who recently built his dream home on the Kent coast – says he feels he was born to be a Gladiator.

At the end of the first season, he said: “After a wild few months I have to be honest and say that Gladiators didn’t quite go to plan. The plan was to be the best Gladiator on the show, but I ended up becoming the best Gladiator of all time. Awkward.

“In all seriousness though, if you’d asked me a few years ago what would be my ultimate life/career goal, I genuinely think being a Gladiator would’ve been top of that list.”

Last week he was one of the guests on comedy panel show Would I Lie To You?, alongside host Rob Brydon and captains David Mitchell and Lee Mack.

Read his full interview with KentOnline here.

You can watch Gladiators on BBC One and iPlayer on Saturday nights.