Gladiators’ Diamond has hit back at claims the cast members go easy when competing against members of the public on the show.
The programme, which was popular in the 90s and was brought back on the BBC this year, sees contenders battle it out against a cast of bodybuilders and gymnasts, known as Gladiators.
Viewers have hit out at the current series, insisting moments are scripted and Gladiators are not as ferocious as the originals.
As Diamond, real name Livi Sheldon, appeared on The One Show on Friday, host Christine Lampard asked: ‘You know before you film, do you get to practice on the course? Because the contenders obviously do. Do you get to practice and do you go hard or do you hold back a little bit?’
Diamond responded: ‘We haven’t got to do the eliminator but we have got to practice against each other. We go 50%, we save the 100% for the contenders.’

Gladiators’ Diamond has hit back at claims the cast members go easy when competing against members of the public on the show
It comes after Gladiators viewers were left infuriated during last Saturday’s episode after two of the super-strength cast members lost their shoes within minutes of the tournament starting.
This week saw four new members of the public appear on the show in the hope of triumphing over the Gladiators.
But the competition ground to a halt when referee Mark Clattenburg blew his whistle to stop the game after Phantom lost his shoe.
A little while later, another Gladiator lost a shoe as they chased a contender up The Wall.
The moments left viewers unimpressed, with many taking to social media as they called on show bosses to give the Gladiators shoes that don’t slip off so easily, while others insisted such an incident would never have happened during the 90s original version of the programme.
Referee Mark told the audience at the Utilita Arena Sheffield: ‘Because the Gladiator lost the shoe, we had to delay the match.’
Taking to Twitter, one person wrote: ‘Can we just get back to being a competitive show rather than this scripting s**t please. Sick of seeing the Gladiators allowing them to win on the wall pretending they can’t grab them or pulling their shoes off.’
While someone else shared: ‘I don’t remember in the 90s so many shoes being pulled off on the wall.’

Gladiators viewers were left infuriated during last Saturday’s episode after two of the super-strength cast members lost their shoes within minutes of the tournament starting

But the competition ground to a halt when referee Mark Clattenburg blew his whistle to stop the game after Phantom lost his shoe (left)
![Gladiators' Diamond refutes claims that the super-strong cast 'hold back' in battles with contenders, following fan criticism of softer 90s version. 7 Viewers were missing the 90s original cast Jet [Diane Youdale] Flame [Kimbra Standish] and Phoenix [Sandy Young] with Wolf [Michael Van Wijk]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/02/03/20/79753657-13014007-Mike_71_told_GBNews_I_really_enjoyed_doing_it_and_to_be_perfectl-a-20_1706991941853.jpg)
Viewers were missing the 90s original cast Jet [Diane Youdale] Flame [Kimbra Standish] and Phoenix [Sandy Young] with Wolf [Michael Van Wijk]
Another person wrote: ‘Can we get some shoes that don’t come off at the slightest amount of pull being applied please!’
‘Think we can all agree, the shoes come off far too easily,’ posted someone else, while another person commented: ‘So a loss of a shoe caused a delay. Interesting.’
Someone else joked: ‘New drinking game. Take a drink every time someone loses a shoe on #Gladiators.’
‘What the actual heck… Shoe #2 lost today,’ asked another viewer.
While someone else shared: ‘”Gladiator has lost a shoe.” Jet and Wolf would NEVER have lost a shoe.’
Someone else wrote: ‘Diamond and Electro that was terrible, the female #Gladiators looked like they were both struggling and another shoe lost!’
And someone else posted: ‘The Gladiators are obviously not trying to get them off the wall. 2/10 must try harder.’
While another person asked: ‘Are the gladiators not as good as the originals or is my memory altered by nostalgia? They used to fly up that wall and catch the contestants.’














Viewers urged show bosses to sort out the costumes
This is not the first time viewers have criticised the Gladiators since the reboot started last month.
Last week, Viper broke the show’s rules for a second time as he hit a contestant before the game started.
More than three decades since the show first launched, Gladiators returned to screens earlier this moth with a brand new group of superhuman-like athletes challenging members of the public to take them on.
One challenge in this week’s instalment named Duel saw Viper take on contestant Ash as they attempted to knock each other off a podium.
But Viper lashed out before the whistle was blown to signal the start of the game, prompting the referee to disqualify him, leaving Viper very unimpressed and looking like he was going to attack the umpire.
However, many fans weren’t convinced, with some say he should be removed from the show for breaking the rules while others insisted it was a ‘scripted’ performance, branding the programme ‘pantomime’.

Gladiators’ Viper broke the show’s rules for a second time during an earlier episode as he hit a contestant before the game started

Viper lashed out before the start of the game, prompting the referee to disqualify him, leaving Viper very unimpressed and looking like he was going to attack the umpire
One person wrote on Twitter: ‘Obsessed with viper being scripted to break the rules every other episode.’
While someone else shared: ‘Is this a bit too much pantomime now with viper and the blatant rule breech and the ref calling him out?’
‘#Gladiators said it before pantomime on the telly #viper #dual,’ wrote someone else.
They should get rid of Viper completely, that twice he’s broken the rules now.
While another show fan posted: ‘Viper is really relishing playing a rule breaker.’
Someone else shared: ‘You’d never see any of the “real” gladiators behave like a child #viper #Gladiators #gladiatorsuk.’
And another audience member at home commented: ‘They need to get rid of Viper. He’s been useless every event he’s done. He’s not even a good villain.’
However, Viper wasn’t the only Gladiator to break the rules during the episode – during the Gauntlet challenge Steel was disqualified for holding on to Ash and not letting him go.








However, many fans weren’t convinced, with some say he should be removed from the show for breaking the rules while others insisted it was a ‘scripted’ performance
The referee again blew the whistle and paused the game, telling Steel he was out.
Gladiators viewers hit out at cast member Viper during the reboot launch earlier this month as they compared him to 90s original Wolf.
Fans of the show, which now airs on BBC One, were quick to make comparisons to the original programme which ran from 1992 to 2000 on ITV.
After watching him flex his bulging biceps and attempt to intimidate his competitor, many members of the audience were unable to stop themselves drawing comparisons between Viper and Wolf.
But it seems Viper’s efforts left a lot to be desired, with many taking to social media to insist his performance was not a patch on Wolf.
One person wrote: ‘So I guess Viper is the new Wolf on #Gladiators.’

Gladiators viewers hit out at cast member Viper (pictured) the series launch as they compared him to 90s original Wolf

After watching him flex his biceps and attempt to intimidate his competitor, many members of the audience were unable to stop themselves drawing comparisons between Viper and Wolf (Wolf pictured in 1995)

Fans of the show, which now airs on BBC One, were quick to make comparisons to the original programme which ran from 1992 to 2000 on ITV (front L-R: Gladiators host Bradley Walsh and Viper)











It seems Viper’s efforts left a lot to be desired, with many taking to social media to insist his performance was not a patch on Wolf
While someone else shared: ‘Viper trying to be the new Wolf. No one will ever compare.’
‘I was enjoying #Gladiators until they just manufactured some excuse to make Viper the new Wolf. Way too contrived,’ remarked someone else.
‘#Viper a poor man’s #Wolf trying to be the bad boy #Gladiators,’ wrote someone else.
Gladiators continues Saturday 17 February at 5.50pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.