Bradley Walsh looked surprised by the cheeky nickname contestant Joe chose (Image: BBC)
viewers were left agape as a plucky contestant unveiled an “inappropriate” nickname on the family-friendly programme. The revival, led by none other than TV favourites and his son Barney, returned for its second outing of the series on Saturday night (January 25).
However, things took an unexpected turn when Joe, 40, was probed about his hypothetical Gladiator name.
As a driving instructor hailing from The Wirral, Joe wittily answered Bradley: “My brother gave me an idea. He said I’d be called the penetrator.”
This brazen claim elicited whistles from the audience and bewildered those watching from their sofas. A taken aback Bradley retorted, warning Joe to “watch it”.
He continued: “Yes, having said that and saying it rather well, if you were to be a Gladiator what would your name be?”
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Gladiators contestant Joe sparked a frenzy on social media. (Image: BBC)
Joe then divulged his genuine choice, telling the anchor: “You might call me the joker.”
The moment sparked a frenzy and viewers flocked to X, formerly known as Twitter, to voice their thoughts, reports .
One viewer expressed their surprise with a tweet: “The Penetrator? #Gladiators,” accompanied by a meme that read: “This is a family show.” Another viewer advised: “‘I’ve been called The Penetrator!’ Please say less. #Gladiators.”
A third shared: “The Penetrator? Yeah I’m not sure that’s a suitable Gladiator name mate.” While a fourth quipped: “The Penetrator? OOH MATRON!”
And a fifth said: “Not sure being referred to as ‘The Penetrator’ is the flex Joe thinks it is #Gladiators.”
In the game, Joe was the first contender to step up to the plate, challenging Bionic in Duel, a bout where the participant and Gladiator vie to topple each other from elevated podiums.
He made it all the way to The Eliminator round and beat rival contestant Armin for a place in the quarter-finals.
After his victory, Joe exclaimed triumphantly: “That is incredible. I was one and done and ready for a beer, but it looks like we’re coming back again!”
Bradley congratulated him and reiterated: “You are coming back, Joe. What about that!”
Gladiators will return to One on Saturday at 5.50pm.