Gladiators became an iconic aspect of British television in the 90s. Aired on ITV between October 10, 1992 and January 1, 2000, the format saw four contestants, two men and two women, go head-to-head in a series of physical events against the show’s “Gladiators”, eventually competing in a final event.

The end goal was for the contestants to secure a spot in the Grand Finals and be crowned champions of their respective series. Getting the upper hand on one of the imperious gladiators was no small feat, though that didn’t stop us from thinking we’d be shooting from the comfort of our own couches.

A key feature of the show that is still remembered almost two decades after it first aired is the voice of Scottish referee John Anderson kicking off matches. He became known for his famous saying, “Disputing One, you’ll go on my first whistle.” Competitor 2, you will go to my second whistle. Competitor ready! Gladiator ready! Three! Of them! A!”

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A cult following was quickly built (with the show, presented by Ulrika Jonsson, regularly attracting over 12 million viewers) and we quickly felt like we knew the Gladiators inside out. Fan favorites include Jet (aka Diane Youdale), Wolf (Michael van Wijk), Warrior (Michael Ahearne), Lightning (Kim Betts), Panther (Helen O’Reilly), and Shadow (Jefferson King).

There weren’t many Gladiators who remained consistent figures of superiority throughout the eight-series series (by our calculations, there were only four). One of those who lasted for the duration of the show was a certain Michael Willson, otherwise known as Cobra.

Born in Dartford in October 1963, Michael was an amateur boxer, kick boxer, bodybuilder and martial arts expert. However, he never really intended to appear on the hit show.

With Lightning, they trained instead and entered as competitors. It wasn’t until hours before the first taping that it was decided that two more Gladiators would be needed for the upcoming series.

This is the reason why neither appear on the cover of the music CD released to accompany the series. They were both upgraded to full-time contestants in show three of the first series, and both remained until the very end of the program.

To prepare for the grueling matches, he began training to get fitter, gain muscle, and gain better definition. Through these methods, Cobra put on two muscle stones and duly entered his first bodybuilding competition.

Illustrating his remarkable physique, Cobra won the Mr South London and Mr Kent bodybuilding titles while also winning a half marathon.

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Cobra was by no means your typical gladiator. He took a much lighter approach by not taking himself too seriously.

Among his gadgets, he made funny faces at the judges, wore wigs and made monkey footprints. Predictably, he was also known as Team Gladiators’ Wild Card; his practical jokes often lightened the mood between shows as filming could be very stressful.

Although considered the joker of the pack, Cobra was deadly serious when it came to events. As soon as he heard the call of “Gladiators Ready,” he was more than ready for action.

Although he was one of the smallest male gladiators – standing 1.83m (just over six feet) – he was extremely quick and agile, allowing him to compete with the best on the Duel podium, in which he has never been knocked down by a competitor. . Another game he proved superior at was Hang Tough Rings, an aerial chess game played 3.6m above the arena floor.

Willson’s performance as Cobra made him a Gladiator classic. It was only later that he admitted to being “bleeding drunk” as he fought competitors on air, often being so drunk he used to struggle to scale the infamous 32 wall. feet tall.

Cobra told the Guardian he was nearly fired by producer Nigel Lythgoe, but the production team stood up for him and he kept his job until 2000. Ironically, he also explained that he didn’t had never “drank a drop before joining Gladiators”. .”

Mr Willson also said he once fractured his hip on the ITV show, but went on with it anyway – without telling the show’s producers. He was particularly known for his high-kicks and splits upon entering the arena as his theme was Calling All The Heroes by It Bites.

Cobra took part in all four live shows, at Wembley 1993–1994, Sheffield 1995 and Wembley 1996, as well as the first two series of International Gladiators. He also left to face South Africa in the Springbok Challenge 2000.

More recently, Wilson has spent time as a motivational speaker, visiting schools and youth clubs across the UK, promoting the message that staying fit can be fun. In 2019, he was hospitalized with pneumonia, later telling reporters “I’m just half a gladiator now.”

He spent more than three weeks in a Kent hospital and added he had ‘self-inflicted’ this from going through pain in the past. The former TV star suffered from a number of health issues including severe acute pancreatitis and pleurisy after he ‘destroyed’ his body, while he also later needed surgery to hip.

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