A star has on live TV after repeatedly referring to himself in the third person.
This week, hit screens in the UK, as did the Australian version too.
Hosted by former rugby star Beau Ryan and Liz Ellis, the former captain of the Australian national netball team, it’s already introduced viewers to 13 new Gladiators ready to take on contestants.
One of them is Sandor Earl, a former rugby league player who is now known as his stage name, Phoenix.
The athlete, 34, played for four clubs in the National Rugby League before going on to .
Although he’s been impressing with his sporting prowess, Phoenix found himself under fire this week during an interview on current affairs panel show The Project.
During an interview on the show, panellist Kate Langbroek poked fun at him after he defended his brutal actions on the first episode, which saw one contestant forced to leave the competition early in a wheelchair.
‘Phoenix definitely asserted his dominance,’ he told the panel, adding it ‘wouldn’t be in Phoenix’s nature’ to go easy on his opponents.
Jumping in, Kate quipped: ‘Also, I’ve noticed Phoenix has to talk about himself in the third person? Is that a superpower?’
‘Ohh. I have started doing that,’ he confessed sheepishly after the studio audience burst into laughter.
The panel wasn’t quite ready to let up either, with comedian Sam Taunton then asking Phoenix if he would end up ‘wrestling people on national television in a sparkly sports bra?’.
Defending himself, Phoenix then pointed out he was actually wearing a ‘crop top’.
Although the UK version of Gladiators has been a hit with viewers, drawing in six million people during its premiere on Saturday night, the Australian version has already faced some setbacks.
Despite it managing to draw in 395,000 viewers across the country on its launch, it shed over half its viewers and only pulled in 196,000 the next day.
During that episode, Gladiator Viking (model, athlete and TV personality Jett Kenny) also only lasted a few seconds in the game after making his debut and was taken off set due to an arm injury, and now won’t be back until later in the season.
This week one of the UK Gladiators stars wastoo.
During an appearance on This Morning, Viper refused to answer any questions and instead stared down hosts Josie Gibson and Dermot O’Leary.
Despite some defending him for staying in character, many labelled what they watched ‘cringe’.
The Project and Gladiators airs on Channel 10 in Australia.
