Gladiators' Wolf nearly missed out on show but raunchy Page 3 snap landed him spot

Helen Skelton says she signed for Strictly to cheer herself up and "smile" again.In April, the former Blue Peter host and her rugby player husband Richie Myler – who have three children – broke up after nine years together.And when asked why she agreed to do Strictly, Helen said: "I just wanted to do something fun. It was a good chance for my family to see me smiling and it’s a fun adventure."READ MORE: Strictly Come Dancing has Geordie Shore star blanket ban on show despite huge successBut she admits it may be a struggle to get close to her hunky male dancer on the BBC show.Helen, 39, added: "I’m not that touchy-feely, so I think the physical closeness I’ll need to have with my partner will take a bit of getting used to!"It comes after the Countryfile star admitted that she would like to do Dancing on Ice.Speaking before her participation on Strictly was revealed, Helen said: “I like to do anything that challenges me."I’d love Dancing On Ice.

Coronation Street tonight (September 23) after her life is left hanging in the balance.Viewers of the ITV soap saw Kelly pay gangster Kieron to kill Gary Windass, after she discovered that he murdered her father Rick Neelan.Rick was a villainous loan shark who terrorised residents in Weatherfield, before Gary murdered him.READ NEXT: ITV Corrie fans fume as intense scenes between Kelly and Gary 'too dark' to seeIn a nail-biting episode earlier this week, viewers saw Kelly's hitman take Gary to the woods to murder him in cold blood.

Helen Skelton has spoken out on her upcoming time on the hit BBC show Strictly Come Dancing, explaining how it'll be a "good chance" for her family to see her smiling.Th 39 year old TV presenter and actress was the final contestant to be announced to have joined the 2022 line-up of the programme, which kicks off on Friday 23 September after a year-long wait. Speaking out about what made her decide to take part in the show, Helen explained: "I just wanted to do something fun! It was a good chance for my family to see me smiling and it's a fun adventure." She went on to share her excitement as she added: "Anybody who's had anything to do with Strictly will say, the make-up people are the best, the costume people are the best, the set designers are the best, the dancers are the best.

Rob Schneider surprised his fans by working the drive through window at a Raising Cane’s in Arizona in an effort to promote his new movie "Daddy Daughter Trip." In addition to handing out chicken to costumers, Schneider also passed out free tickets to the world premiere of his movie, which is set to premiere in Arizona on September 27. One of those lucky fans who go see the movie on opening day will win free Raising Cane’s chicken for an entire year.

Actor and filmmaker Tyler Perry says his door’s always open for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. The "Jazzman Blues" director revealed that he offered his Los Angeles home to the couple during their fallout with the royal family.

Charlize Theron is getting candid about her personal life. The actress, 47, spoke with Harper’s Bazaar for their October cover issue all about parenting, navigating the dating world and her experience after 25 years in Hollywood. "I feel like I’m at a place where it is what it is," Theron said of her career.

A woman who has accused celebrity chef Mario Batali of sexual misconduct anonymously has now gone on the record in a newly released Discovery+ documentary. "Batali: The Fall of a Superstar Chef" premiered on the streaming service on Thursday. In the documentary, a former hostess at one of Batali’s restaurants, Eva DeVirgilis, accuses the chef of sexually assaulting her in 2005.

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Joe Otterson TV Reporter Lukas Gage has joined the cast of the “Dead Boy Detectives” series at HBO Max, Variety has learned. The eight-episode series was ordered at HBO Max back in April. It is based on the DC comics of the same name as well as “The Sandman,” from characters created by Neil Gaiman and Matt Wagner. The official series description states, “It’s a fresh take on a ghost story that explores loss, grief, and death through the lens of Edwin Payne (George Rexstrew) and Charles Rowland (Jayden Revri), two dead British teenagers, and their very alive friend, Crystal Palace (Kassius Nelson). So, it’s a lot like a vintage detective series — only darker and on acid.”

Wolf was one of the most formidable characters on hit 90s show Gladiators when it was at its prime, recognisable with his curly mane of hair and steely stare. Fast-forward to 2022 and the actor-bodybuilder who played him, Michael Van Wijk, 69, looks a lot different from his show heyday, with a shaved head and a life far removed from the UK. In what may be a surprise to some, Michael is also different to his iconic ruthless character, and is famously nice in real life.

Gladiators legend Wolf has said the new cast will "never be as good" as the originals.The much-loved show is being brought back for an 11-episode run next year, after a lot of gossip and rumours about a revamp being in the pipeline.Wolf, real name Michael Van Wijk, was quizzed about its comeback on GB News and teased that the newcomers would be like photocopies of the original Gladiators.READ MORE: Gladiators stars talk backstage secrets - 'rivalries', outfit swaps and banned eventsDiscussing his own stint on the programme, which originally aired from 1992 to 2000, he said: "It was absolutely a wonderful time in our lives, I can say this for me and all the guys."But with all due respect, they'll never be as good as us.

Michael Van Wijk is best known for his stint as bad guy Wolf on the iconic show Gladiators, but the star is sporting a very different look compared to his time on the show.

Gladiators famously aired in the 1990s in the UK and quickly became one of the most popular shows on TV.With the likes of Lightning, Jet, Wolf and Saracen appearing on the show among many other famous gym-goers, it's no surprise the series stayed on air for a whopping eight-year run.READ MORE: Gladiators' Saracen reveals what producers 'forced' him to do during every showHowever, when it ended in 2000, the stars went their separate ways and focused on their dreams away from the competitive TV show - and some closed the door on TV forever.Michael Van Wijk had a handful of acting credits while he was on the TV show, but after his stint on BBC he moved overseas and opened a chain of gyms - and had quite the transformation.Despite finishing his time on Gladiators, Michael has regularly shared his joy at appearing in the once incredibly popular TV show, with the star even telling Loaded magazine in 2008 he wanted to "come back and be a Gladiator again".He later appeared in a one-off show called Gladiators: The Legends Return in 2008, but he returned to New Zealand and continued with his own work.Nowadays, some fans might not recognise the Wolf star, particularly with his major transformation in the decades that followed his TV stint.While some fans will remember Wolf for his striking curls, Michael now sports a completely shaven head and is regularly seen in casual attire - a far cry from his famous Gladiators' uniform from the '90s.One thing that hasn't changed though is his love and passion for the gym and working out.As fans will remember, the Gladiators stars were incredibly fit during the heyday, and that's one thing that Michael hasn't let falter.When he left the UK the star decided to open up a chain of gyms in New

GLADIATORS' Wolf was the long-haired baddie of the hit show, which the BBC recently revealed is about to return. Famous for his ruthless nature and bone-chilling stare, the character made a star of Michael Van Wijk. The bodybuilder - who, unlike Wolf, was famously nice in real life - was one of the most recognisable members of the cast.

Gladiators star Wolf admitted that he once made host Ulrika Jonsson "storm off" the ITV show.Michael Van Wijk, 69, became known to the world as The Wolf Man after starring in all eight series of Gladiators from 1992 to 2000.Never missing an episode, the bodybuilder became known for his cheeky on set antics towards the contenders and is now recognised as one of the most iconic parts of the show. READ MORE: Gladiators' Wolf nearly missed out on show but raunchy Page 3 snap landed him spotAlso featuring in every episode was presenter Ulrika who fronted the show throughout its original run, leading to the duo developing a brilliant on screen relationship across the eight years.The presenter, 55, was the first to point out when Wolf didn't perform at his best and recalling one of these moments, the TV icon revealed in an exclusive chat with Daily Star that a brutal comment once caused her to abruptly leave.Wolf recalled: "I'd just make stuff up on the spot.

Gladiators star Michael Van Wijk has revealed that producers rejected his idea for Wolf to be bad. The 69-year-old appeared on all eight series of the hit ITV show and quickly became a fan-favourite due to his villainous antics.During the shows run from 1992 to 2000, there was no Gladiator quite like Wolf who managed to get the crowd going the minute he set foot into the arena.READ MORE: Gladiators' Wolf nearly missed out on show but raunchy Page 3 snap landed him spotIn an exclusive chat with Daily Star, the gym owner revealed that he pitched the 'Big Bad Wolf' idea to producers and explained that it stemmed from him wanting to stand out from other Gladiators.He said: "When we got to the shows I looked around I thought 'Wow, look all these fit strong, fantastic looking people, how can I stand out to this crowd?' Especially because I was also the oldest and everyone else looked so good."So I said to the producers when we were doing the first series, 'Can I be bad?' And they said, 'No' because everyone has to have this squeaky clean image and this is Gladiators," he continued."I said, 'But the name is Wolf.

Gladiators ran for eight seasons and became a staple in households every Saturday night. Running from 1992 to 2000, the hit ITV show saw super-fit contenders take on the ultimate challenge as they went up against the Gladiators in several gruelling events.

Gladiators Wolf star has revealed he wants to return in the show's reboot.It was confirmed last month that the hit series, which ran from 1992 to 2000, will be returning to screens 22 years after its original end and has been picked up by the BBC.69-year-old Michael Van Wijk made a name for himself after starring as Wolf throughout the show's eight seasons and became the only gladiator not to miss an episode.READ MORE: Gladiators legend Lightning still bodybuilding aged 50 alongside her Mr Universe husbandNow, the bodybuilder, who has lived in New Zealand for the past 16 years, has confirmed he would like to return and would happily do so in the iconic role he played for eight years.In an exclusive chat with Daily Star, the TV icon explained that his age could be a reason why he wouldn't be allowed to compete as a gladiator, but assured he could complete the gruelling events "blindfolded.""I would return. I could do it blindfolded.

Gladiators star Wolf made his first foray into football, who would have thought he would have started out for Gillingham reserves at the age of 42. But in October 1994, that is exactly what happened in what must have felt like a fever dream for the average Priestfield attendee.