Bradley Walsh's son Barney under fire after recent episode of BBC Gladiators

28 January 2024 , 08:50

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Bradley Walsh's son Barney hosts Gladiators with him (Image: Dave J Hogan/Getty Images)

BBC’s Gladiators reboot but some viewers were quick to moan about Bradley Walsh’s son, Barney.

It was announced in May that would be helming the reboot, but not everyone’s a fan of the decision, as they made clear during this weekend’s show. One person went so far as to say his appointment was an example of “nepotism”. An X, formerly Twitter, user tweeted last night: “What are the chances that Bradley Walsh's son, Barney Walsh, was the best co-presenter to work alongside, um, Bradley Walsh, on Gladiators? We’re talking prime time TV, BBC One. Who else went in for that job? Was it advertised? Publicly funded nepotism.”

Another person chimed in: “Absolutely loving Gladiators but Barney Walsh is killing the vibes,” while someone else said, “Barney Walsh I think would be better on his own rather than as a duo with Bradley who is already well established.” A fourth X user said Barney was “lacking charisma”.

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BBC’s Gladiators reboot returned to screens on Saturday (BBC / Nick Eagle / © Hungry Bear Media Ltd)

However, others made it clear they loved the Walsh presenting duo, with someone raving: “Don’t understand the hullabaloo about Bradley and Barney Walsh presenting. Doing a grand job imo.” Another social media user excitedly tweeted: “Looking for to watching Bradley and Barney Walsh on #gladiators tonight.”

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While Gladiators might be one of Barney’s biggest gigs yet, it certainly isn't his first taste of fame. Many ITV viewers will be fans of Bradley and Barney's on-screen chemistry after the success of their hit travel show Bradley and Barney Walsh: Breaking Dad. The son of the Saturday night TV star has been on screens for years now, with five seasons of their travel show having aired so far.

And that isn't Barney's only TV credit, with him following in his father's footsteps last year after landing a role on drama Casualty. In spring 2023, Barney joined as accident-prone nurse Cameron, a new edition who struggled adapting to the fast-paced emergency department.

Barney also has several more acting appearances under his belt, including as a young Arthur in the Guy Ritchie film King Arthur: Legend of The Sword, while also starring in The Larkins alongside his father and as a guest star in BBC's Death of Paradise. He has also appeared in Doctors and Law and Order.

Mirror Online has reached out to Barney’s reps for comment.

Aisha Nozari