Ulrika Jonsson's wild romance with 'much younger' Gladiators hunk
With the revival of Galdiators on the the BBC, Ulrika Jonsson has found herself back in the spotlight - and her past romance with one of the original show stars.
Swedish presenter Ulrika was the original host of Gladiators when it debuted on ITV in 1992 until the first run ended in the year 2000. During that time, the 56-year-old host developed a romance with 50-year-old James Crossley - who fans would know better by his stage name, Hunter.
Hunter was a star on the show from season two until season eight - which was on air from 1993 until January 2000. He later went on to enjoy a second chance at TV stardom with a reality show appearance in the 2020s.
And while Ulrika has since gone on to date other men, the star has hinted she holds a bit of a torch for the bodybuilder.
Ulrika dated James Crossley - aka Hunter - in 1996 (ITV)
Ulrika encouraged James when he was a contestant on Channel 4's The Circle in 2021 (Channel 4)When did Ulrika Johnson and the Gladiators star Hunter date?
When Ulrika started hosting Gladiators in 1992, she was married to camera man John Turnbull - with whom she welcomed a son in 1994. However, the marriage collapsed and the pair split - ultimately divorcing in 1995.
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Once Ulrika was single, she and Hunter began a romance - with the former weather presenter embarking on her romance when she was 29 and he was 23. Being coy about the age gap in a recent interview with The Sun, Ulrika said: "[That's] not just because he and I got together. (Still can’t believe he was only 23 at the time. Yikes)."
What has Ulrika said about her past romance with Hunter?
Ulrika wrote about the romance in her 2003 autobiography, titled Honest, writing: “Well, I guess I was infatuated with James… It was a physical thing. And what a nice man he turned out to be.”
The presenter has also explained that she was happiest while presenting the hit BBC show. She recently told The Sun: "I have really fond memories of all those years of filming. The show saw me through a lot of personal highs and lows — it was as if each year brought a new and different version of me.”
Are Ulrika and Hunter still in touch?
While Ulrika and Hunter’s romance was relatively short lived, lasting a year, it seems the relationship has made a lasting impact on the star - as she still cares about the former Athlete. Back in 2021, TV fans were surprised to see the former Gladiators star return to screens as a contestant on the Channel 4 reality show The Circle.
And Ulrika was more than happy to send her support to her ex - wishing him well for his time on the show. She shared a snap of James on her Instagram Stories and referenced his appearance on the show, writing: “It's too late at night for me to watch but he can be cute.”
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