WITH their chiselled physiques, Lycra outfits and menacing alter-egos, the cast of Gladiators were among the biggest stars of 90s British television.
The likes of Wolf, Saracen and Lightning put their bodies on the line as they battled it out with super fit ‘contenders’ in front of rapturous arena audiences.
Wolf was one of 90s TV’s most recognisable faces
His son Dean wanted to follow in his footsteps and star in the reboot
Though they were largely responsible for the show’s success, the gladiators themselves didn’t receive the bumper payday fans might expect.
In an exclusive interview with The Celeb Report from his home in Auckland, New Zealand, Michael Van Wijk, aka Wolf, lifts the lid on what it was really like on the programme.
He says: “It was quite bizarre really because the actual show itself paid peanuts, like £500 a show, or something like that.
“It was minor. I made more from my gyms than I did from the show. What it did give you was the exposure, and that’s when you get the spin-offs.”
They may have had huge publicity, but the cast didn’t have free reign to monetise the names they were best known for.
“They controlled a really tight ship,” says Michael. “The name Wolf belonged to them. It was all in-house.
“Anything that had to go through them, they’d take 25 percent.”
The gym owner recalls how he was forced to drop the word Wolf from T-shirts he was flogging at a pantomime he was performing in.
Instead, he used a picture of his face alongside the words ‘wild thing’.
“It’s understandable,” he says. “It’s their show. They created it. They gave me the name. Even the costumes. Everything you wore had to be approved by America because they licensed it, it was their show originally.”
Michael, now 70, was 40 when he shot to fame on the programme, making him the oldest gladiator on the roster.
He says bosses didn’t originally want to cast anyone that old, but his impressive performances in the show trials forced their hand.
When he was given the name Wolf, he quickly spotted a golden opportunity to cement his place on the programme.
He explains: “I approached them and said ‘can I be bad’ and they said ‘no, everyone has to be squeaky clean’. I said ‘I’ll do it tongue in cheek. Let me do it for one show, if you don’t like it I won’t bring it up again’.”
Needless to say, the crowd lapped it up and Wolf became the character everyone loved to hate. They would yell and wave signs with insults on as he used an array of dirty tricks – from pulling out nose hairs to rubbing his armpit in people’s faces – to wind up contestants.
Behind the scenes, the savvy star wasn’t as antagonistic as his alter-ego. He would politely ask contenders if they wanted to have some back and forth with him during games, insisting it wouldn’t impact the outcome.
Those who agreed would often end up in a playful row or engage in a bit of push and shove with the big bad Wolf. Michael’s only request being that he had the final say to protect his baddie status.
If they declined, then he would simply dispatch them in a clinical, professional fashion and that was that.
Michael moved to New Zealand nearly 18 years ago
His Wolf persona made him Gladiators’ biggest star
Bradley and Barney Walsh are hosting the Gladiators reboot
Away from the arena, the show was infamous for its backstage romps and relationships, but Michael’s age and maturity worked to his advantage when it came to avoiding any unneeded drama.
His wife Paula, who was then his fiancée, stayed with him at the hotel while filming took place and they favoured quiet nights together over wild partying.
Michael says: “We’d get room service, watch a movie, go to bed early. We’d go to breakfast, we all stayed on the same floor, and I’d see girls in evening dresses leaving gladiators’ rooms. I think to myself ‘don’t blame me if you don’t perform well’.
“This is a short window, you’ve gotta make the most of it, treat it as a professional. It’s not for me to say, it’s up to them if they want to do that.”
Gladiators returns to screens later this year, this time on the BBC, with a whole new roster of muscly men and women who are hoping to become household names.
Presenting the much-anticipated reboot is Bradley Walsh and son Barney, replacing original pairing Ulrika Jonsson and John Fashanu.
Michael had hoped to be part of the new series, joking he’d cover his own insurance to be a gladiator again. He even put his name forward to host the show, however, he says he didn’t receive a response.
“I think they’re trying to get away from the old image,” he says. “They want to put their own stamp on it.
“I wanted to be a presenter on it then they took Bradley Walsh and his son. I never got a reply when I contacted them.”
His lookalike son Dean, 34, also applied to become a Gladiator but was rebuffed because he doesn’t live in the country.
Michael says: “I got a lame excuse back. They said to me ‘your son’s not a UK resident so we couldn’t consider him’. But seeing he was born in Orpington Hospital and he’s got a UK passport… just because he’s living abroad with me. They said they didn’t realise and will consider him for next year.”
Whether or not he gets a final gladiatorial goodbye on TV remains to be seen, but Michael has lost none of his bite and remains fit and raring to go.
Visit Cameo to get a personalised video message from Wolf.
Wolf with fellow stars Cobra, Jet and Lightning
