Gladiators' Wolf says BBC blanked him and snubbed his son after reboot offer
Gladiators favourite Michael Van Wijk aka Wolf has reflected on his experience on the show and shared that he approached producers about potentially returning for the new reboot - only to be totally "blanked" by BBC bosses.
The former Gladiator told us how he and another co-star reached out to the BBC ahead of the rebooted series being filmed, only to be totally ignored. Not only that, Michael's son had dreams of following in his father's footsteps and becoming a BBC Gladiator, but "didn't even get a look in".
The bodybuilder, now 71, is better known by the name "Wolf" and appeared on the original ITV version of the game show from 1992 to 2000. Michael later returned for the short-lived revival on Sky One, which aired from 2008 to 2009. Michael exclusively spoke to the Mirror this week about his time on the popular show.
He also addressed the reboot, which was launched by the BBC last month, including discussing a potential return and sharing his advice. The former Gladiator described the original series as "quite life-changing," telling us on Friday: "All of a sudden you're mobbed everywhere you go on the streets and you're a household name. [It was] a meteoric rise from nowhere."
Michael Van Wijk is better known as 'Wolf' from the original Gladiators (ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
The Mirror caught up with Michael, pictured in 2019, this week to discuss his time on the show (Fabio De Paola/REX/Shutterstock)He recalled his "character" Wolf being "very loved," but said that being approached by fans and paparazzi took "a bit of getting used to". He said: "Everyone feels that they know you, even though you don't know them. [...] It's a bit odd." Michael revealed that producers gave him the name "Wolf" for the show, which was originally hosted by Ulrika Jonsson and John Fashanu. He also dispelled a "myth" about his inspiration for the persona that has appeared online.
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Asked if a rumoured audition for Dancing with Wolves (1990), which starred Kevin Costner, had inspired him, Michael told us: "That's a load of nonsense." He said it "never happened" and denied auditioning for the film, saying: "Never, never. Completely unreal. Total myth. Somebody's fabrication."
He explained that when producers gave him the moniker for Gladiators, he was aware of the connotation of the "big bad wolf". Reflecting on the show, Michael said: "The character lent itself to being bad before I'd even said anything." The former actor said that "the crowd went berserk" went he debuted the persona and that it "just grew from there". He added that it would have been "boring" if he'd constantly been "bad," so he would be selective with his moments.
He shared: "If there was a moment that I thought was worth milking and the situation arose that I could do something with it, then I would. [...] You can't just go out and create something out of nothing. An incident has to happen and you think you can make something better out of it."
Michael said that there were "a couple of times" that his popularity prompted reaction from his co-stars. He told us: "A couple of times they'd say 'oh let's do a [rota] system. Wolf always comes out last. It's a bit unfair'. Cause everyone else comes out and [then Wolf] and the crowd erupts."
He added that at any meetings they had "like that," he told producers to send him out after the cleaner, recalling that he said: "I don't care where I come out. The response is gonna be the same." He said that they wanted him out last, saying they suggested to his colleagues "take it or leave it".
Michael recalled his 'character' on the ITV show having been 'very loved' by audiences (Getty Images)"Producers basically had a firm hand and you basically towed the line and did what they wanted," he said, adding: "If they saw it was to their advantage for me to come out last, I'd come out last." Michael said it was about production and audience participation to make it "more enjoyable".
Michael went on to say that producers also addressed comments by his colleagues about him supposedly getting more air time. The cast member recalled them being told: "He doesn't get more TV time. He gives us more to play with. He goes out there and he does something before, [after and during]. By the time we edit it, we've got a bit left. If you go out there and just don't give us a lot, by the time we edit it, don't expect to have more air time because you're not giving us the opportunity to promote you more."
His co-stars weren't "jealous" though, he said, adding: "We were all equal. They just wanted to make sure that they were popular as well. Had it been the other way round and some of the others had been more popular than me, I would have felt the same way. There's no jealousy involved, I think it was just sportsmanship and they wanted to be the best of what they could do, and they wanted that portrayed."
Michael, who was in his forties on the original series, said that he had been keen to "stand out" after finding out that his co-stars were athletes and younger. He said: "So I was thinking about it from the get-go. [...] These guys are so good. I've got to make sure I do something that guarantees me being in the show every series so I built the character to be so strong that Wolf had to be there every year."
He explained in the interview that he hasn't yet watched the newly-launched reboot of Gladiators because the show isn't available in New Zealand at the moment. He emigrated to the country with his wife and children some years ago. He added that he will "binge-watch it" once it becomes available. Michael said: "I'm very proud of the guys who are the new Gladiators because I look upon them as brother and sister Gladiators. I'm pleased for them. [...] It's time for them to shine now and I just wish them all the best."
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Discussing previous interviews he's done amid the launch, Michael suggested that he doesn't believe he could "thrash everybody on there" despite how it may seem. He however shared that he would "love" to have a go against them. He teased: "I feel 100 percent confident that I would like to go against them, as long as they don't mind me bringing my zimmer frame [...] All joking aside, I'm very competitive, and even though I'm 71 years old, I work out all the time."
The bodybuilder, pictured in a photo that was shared in 2022, said that he's continued to train in the decades since (@wolf.gladiators/instagram)The bodybuilder, who still trains, added: "I'm fit as a fiddle. I'm still super-strong and super-fit, so yeah I'd love to challenge them, going up against them." He further teased: "I don't think their insurance would cover me [though]." Michael said that "nothing's changed" in terms of his fitness as he's got older, adding: "I never stopped."
He said: "Times are changing. People used to have the perception that 71 years old is an old biddie, but it's not because [of] modern nutrition, the modern diet [and] sports supplements. Everything's now available for longevity," he said. Michael added that the "misconception" that people in his age group are "old biddies" is "ridiculous". He however did acknowledge that not everyone his age is as physically fit.
And he told us that alongside with his former co-stars Diane Youdale ('Jet'), James Crossley ('Hunter') and Kim Betts ('Lightning'), he had approached the BBC about being involved "in some shape or form" with the new Gladiators. He said in the interview earlier this week: "[We] tried to contact the BBC to say like we'd be interested in presenting, team captions, be involved in some shape or form. And none of us got even a reply. Nothing. Just completely blank."
Michael speculated that producers on the reboot want "nothing" to do with the previous versions of the show. He commented: "They didn't even bother giving me a 'no, thank you, but thank you for applying'. Nothing. A complete blank." He added that his son Dean Van Wijk, 34, had "wanted to take part". Michael said Dean "didn't even get a look in". He told us: "They would have had to have introduced him as Wolf's son, which they [probably] didn't wanna do. They didn't want anything to do with the old show, y'know."
Some fans have expressed interest in the likes of Wolf hosting the reboot, which is being presented by Bradley Walsh and his son Barney Walsh. Michael told us that he would be open to taking over the role with someone else.
He shared: "I'd love to co-present but I think they're got [Bradley] and his son haven't they? Yeah so. But yeah, I'd love to co-present, maybe me and Jet, or me and Hunter, or something, that'd be great. Cause we've actually taken part in the events. We can relate to the events. We can say 'oh, I know how tough that was. How did you [find it]?' Rather than somebody who's never done it."
He compared hosting Gladiators to football commentators, noting that those in that role used to play the sport. Michael said: "If someone's actually taken part in games, they know what it's like, they know how gruelling it is, how tough it is."
Michael told us that he's open to making a return to Gladiators in the future (ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
He described the original series as 'quite life-changing' and said that fans would recognise him when he was out in public (ITV/REX/Shutterstock)Michael said that social media "wasn't around" when he was on Gladiators and he now uses Instagram to stay in touch with his former co-stars and fans. He also connects with fans through the personalised video platform Cameo.
He's encouraged the cast of the reboot to take advantage of any opportunities that weren't available to him back in the 1990s. He said: "Social media wasn't around when we did ours. I think we'd have made a lot of money out of it."
"I would have made a lot had it been around at the time so I would say take advantage of social media, milk it as much as you possibly can [and] the stronger you are, the bigger you are, the more likely you're gonna stay on the show," he said.
The renewed interest in former cast members of Gladiators comes following a difficult few years for Michael. He opened up about having lost his father and brother, recalling that his late dad, who was 96, died in 2021 after catching Covid.
He said: "If it wasn't for Covid, he'd still be here. It's one of those unfortunate things, which killed a lot of people. [...] We lost a lot of good people." Michael was in New Zealand during the pandemic, whilst his father was based in the UK.
"It's just one of those things that I think it's in the lap of the Gods and it's out of your hands," he said. Michael added: "Yes, it hurts, but y'know. My brother sent me the video and I was [on a video link] at the funeral y'know so. But yeah, as I said, it's unfortunate and I'm sure many other people have experienced what I did. [...] There isn't someone you're gonna talk to that it hasn't happened to, even now."
Michael said: "I'm glad I wasn't there at the end because it would have been emotionally too painful." He added: "Then I lost my brother [shortly afterwards]. They say that as you get older you go to more funerals than you do weddings."
Asked how he's got through it all, he told us: "[My] children. You've got to think about them and being strong for them to support them. I think that's very important but as I said I do have empathy for people who have had that but that's why it's very important to me in respect of keeping healthy."
He said: "I've never been ill. Never, ever, been ill. Even when my family had Covid." Michael went on to suggest that he built up "resistance" in his childhood, saying: "I came from such a poor background that I think my immune system was very, very strong, because we had nothing. I think that built it up and plus I was one of those kids who wished to go outside and play until it got dark in the mud and the dirt."
During the interview, Michael was also asked to share the "biggest misconception" about him. He responded to the question: "I think the biggest misconception [or] what a lot of people don't know is that me and [former Gladiators referee] John Anderson were the best of friends."
They were known to have confrontations on-screen, but he said: "He's meant to be my nemesis but we got on great. It was like Morecambe and Wise. It was like we bounced off each other. I don't think I could have done half of the stuff without him. [...] We had a rapport that no one else had on the show. We used to go out for meals together. We're meant to be enemies, arch-enemies, but it was all fun."
Looking ahead, Michael shared that he would "love" a role on Doctor Who, potentially even as the titular character. He revealed to us that he's a "massive" fan of the science-fiction genre and in particular the beloved BBC show.
He said: "I would really love to be considered [for] a Doctor Who with attitude. I mean, You've already got the fanbase. It would really take off." Michael teased: "This is me putting out to the universe; Wolf wants to be Doctor Who, when they cast again." He added that he would be open to other roles in the show, saying: "One of his adversaries or whatever."
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