Where is original Gladiator Saracen now? Star reveals what producers 'forced' him to do
Gladiators is being rebooted for the BBC but fans are keen to know what happened to the original cast.
Gladiators for the new series named
Gladiators was an ITV favourite which came to an end more than 20 years ago.
The popular agility competition series is being remade for the BBC with an entirely new generation of competitors.
Saracen, otherwise known as Michael Lewis, starred in every season up until the show's end in 2000.
Reminiscing over his time on the show, he said: "One thing producers did force us to do was address each other in character, and we weren't allowed to come out of that character.
"There were cameras absolutely everywhere in that arena, but when we walked out that was it, I was Saracen," he told the Daily Star.
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The star, who is now 59, admitted he would have carried on being a Gladiator "forever" had the show continued.
He described his time on the show as a "surreal" experience as he was always recognised as Saracen by members of the public.
"Even now, I don't mind people calling me Saracen because that's how the world knows me," he added.
The star also opened up about the BBC reboot and how he wouldn't feel threatened by the new cast members.
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"Now I'm not saying that Saracen could take on all these new young bodybuilders that will no doubt be wanting to join the new show, because all these people will be young and fit and some of us might be past it," he said.
"But what they have to remember is, there's only one Saracen."
Saracen and his girlfriend, Chrissie, both tried out for the Gladiators show in 1992 and they are now happily married.
In 2015, he took part in ITV's Ninja Warrior show, in one of his latest TV appearances.
In August 2022 Saracen made a rare appearance on ITV's This Morning to discuss the rumours of a reboot.
Viewers took to Twitter to swoon over his appearance as he sported longer hair and proved he was still in good shape.
"Saracen still got it going on! Wowoweewah!" one fan wrote.
Gladiators will air on the BBC later this year.