Louise Minchin has spoken about how ’empowering’ she found her experience on Gladiators, despite being ‘terrified’ (Picture: Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock)
Former BBC Breakfast star Louise Minchin has revealed how ‘terrifying’ her experience on Celebrity Gladiators was.
The presenter, 56, is taking part in the gruelling reality competition alongside Joel Dommett, comedian Rob Beckett and actress Ellie Taylor.
It’s her latest adrenaline-filled challenge after the I’m A Celebrity star, who left the BBC in 2021 after 20 years before confirming a shock return, took on several triathlons in recent years, leaving fans ‘inspired’ as she broke down barriers.
Recalling her time filming the programme, which comes after the BBC revived Gladiators last year, Louise told Metro: ‘It was the most fun I think I’ve ever had when I’m supposedly working. It was absolutely hilarious, terrifying, and utterly brilliant. I loved every single moment of it.’
She went on: ‘I was really worried, because the Gladiators are like made of steel, they’re so strong and they’re so good at all the different games.
‘I was 55 when I did it, I was really worried, I’ve got really bad knees and all sorts of things. I was kind of worried going into it that I would fall over or twist my knee, hurt my ankle, so yeah I was really worried.’
She added that though the four celebrities had ‘a bit of warning’, they’d not had months to train like the contestants on the amateur series.
‘So yeah I was absolutely terrified that I was going to hurt myself. The next day, I was in agony, because you are properly put through your paces in lots of different ways, bashed around and falling over, so the next day I could hardly walk but it was all worth it.’
Gladiator, ready! (Picture: BBC / Graeme Hunter / © Hungry Bear Media Ltd)
She’ll be joined by Rob Beckett, Ellie Taylor and Joel Dommett for the celebrity special (Picture: BBC / Graeme Hunter / © Hungry Bear Media Ltd)
She went on: ‘The hardest part was the nerves, because you see it on the telly and you think it looks intimidating but then you walk into the arena and it’s way bigger in real life.
‘You’ve got to get up on these high places and then jump off them and it was the nerves because there are like 4000 people in the audience, all cheering and shouting… and you’re waiting for the whistle to go and your heart is racing.’
Despite the nerves, Louise admitted she was enjoying herself after the first challenge, and was being supported by young fans in the audience cheering for her.
‘I think what I didn’t realise, because you do hear the crowd on the show as well, is that the crowd is so much a part of it,’ she said.
Louise is an inspiration to fans after becoming a triathlete (Picture: Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock)
‘They really are, and you really feel that they’re shouting for you, and that was amazing. All these young kids saying, “Go Louise,” it was so rewarding to see that, and I didn’t realise how empowering that was to have the crowd shouting at you when you’re running across the bridge or whatever it is.
‘They’re so much a part of the show, and I love that it’s across all age groups, these tiny kids in there, and you’ve got people my age who have watched the show for years and years. It was really good family fun.
‘That’s what I love about the show, and I think it’s always been that way and maybe even more so now, because they’ve all got their posters, and supporting their favourite Gladiators, and it was just fabulous, the whole thing.’
It’s not just young children in the audience that Louise has become an inspiration to, as she revealed one unexpected fan interaction that’s been particularly rewarding.
She shared her experience in in book Dare to Tri: My Journey from the BBC Breakfast Sofa to GB Team Triathlete, as well as Fearless: Adventures with Extraordinary Women (Picture: Alex Davidson/Getty Images)
Having shared her triathlon endeavours in book Dare to Tri: My Journey from the BBC Breakfast Sofa to GB Team Triathlete, as well as Fearless: Adventures with Extraordinary Women, and having taken part in Around the World in 80 Days for Children in Need, it’s no surprise her fans are in awe of her.
She said: ‘It’s been incredibly rewarding, and I wanted to go on Gladiators because I don’t know if I am the oldest woman to try to go and be on Gladiators but I just did it because I thought, if I can go and do something silly like that, hopefully other women will go, “Do you know what, I’m going to do something like that,” whether it’s Couch to 5k or something.
‘It’s incredibly rewarding, and it’s not just women my age, the other day I was in a café and a young girl in her early 20s came up to me and said, “I’ve read your book and I love what you do, I’m so inspired by it,” it’s been amazing.
‘It sounds ridiculous, there are people who saw me competing in my age group for a triathlon, read my book and then have done it and gone on to win World Championships… I love stories like that.’
She also took part in Around the World in 80 Days for Children in Need and a Sport Relief trek in Namibia (Picture: Leo Francis/Comic Relief via Getty Images)
She’s now been inspired by the role models on Gladiators with her, who include rugby player Jodie Ounsley, who became the first ever deaf Gladiator as Fury.
‘I’ve loved that show since it was first broadcast, I’ve watched it for years and years, and what I love about it is, first of all we the Gladiators are absolutely fantastic role models for starters, and then it seems like huge fun, but I’ll accept that not everyone thinks it’s fun to be standing up two metres up on a podium and being battered by a pugil, but I just think it’s good, fun, clean, competition,’ Louise said.
She continued: ‘I have loved it for years and years, so when I got the call to be a part of it, I couldn’t believe they were asking me to be part of it. I just thought that’s going to be one of the most brilliant things I can ever do in my life, love the show and was delighted to be part of it.
‘Because it’s a celebrity version, it’s definitely even more funny than normal, it’s kind of on the edge of panto, they really mess around with us. They were taking it very seriously but do mess around with us as well, and there’s a moment where one of them has me over her shoulders and carrying me around, honestly it was such fun.’
‘Don’t take yourself too seriously, and you’ll see why when you watch Celebrity Gladiators.’ (Picture: Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock)
She didn’t go into the show with a competitive streak though, Louise told us, revealing it’s a misconception about her.
She said: ‘I think people think that I do all the sport because I’m really competitive. I do it because I love it, not because I want to win, just because I love being outside, I love challenging myself, and I love putting myself in difficult situations and seeing how I cope. So yeah, I’d say that I’m competitive with myself and not with other people.’
When asked for her one piece of advice having pushed boundaries and broken down barriers, she added: ‘Don’t take yourself too seriously, and you’ll see why when you watch Celebrity Gladiators.’
Gladiators: Celebrity Special airs on New Year’s Day at 6pm on BBC One and iPlayer.
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