Gladiators on BBC: who are the referees and where have you seen them before?
- Gladiators is back on BBC for a second series - a year after its revival.
- The show pits regular contestants against the titular Gladiators.
- But who are the referees and why do they look familiar?
Meet the referees who are helping to helm the second series of BBC’s hit show Gladiators. Across 11 weeks, ordinary contenders will brave the arena to take on the titular superhumans.
The start time for this week’s episode has been confirmed - as has the channel it will air on. Two new Gladiators have been added to the cast for 2025 as the roster has been expanded.
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Hide AdA trio of referees are on hand to make sure the competition is fair. But who are they - and why do they seem familiar?
Who are the referees for Gladiators in 2025?


The same trio of referees are back for the second season of the BBC revival of Gladiators. It includes:
- Mark Clattenburg
- Sonia Mkoloma
- Lee Phillips
Speaking about taking up the whistle for the BBC show, Mark said: “When I watched the show back in the 90’s everyone knew who the referee was, John Anderson and to get the call to say I was going to be the new referee on Gladiators was such an amazing thing and probably one of the best things I've ever done in my life.”
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Hide AdSonia added: “I loved the original Gladiators. I am one of four kids, so we used to muck around and fight and pretend to do Gauntlet and Duel and loved the theme song, I was a massive fan. Hearing the song again gave me goosebumps.”
Lee said: “It’s a real action-packed show with lots to look forward to. A new breed of superheroes and villains, some inspirational stories and some nail-biting close finishes.”
Where have you seen the referees before?
The trio of Gladiators referees might look familiar to regular sports watchers. Especially to football fans.
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Hide AdMark Clattenburg
Mark is one of England’s most decorated referees. He became a Premier League referee in 2004 before becoming a FIFA-listed referee in 2006 – meaning he could take charge of international fixtures.
He oversaw several big games - including the 2012 Men's Olympics final, the 2012 Carabao Cup final, the 2014 European Super Cup as well as the 2016 FA Cup, Champions League, and European Championships Finals. Mark is considered one of the most highly rated European referees of his generation.
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Sonia Mkoloma
Sonia is a former English international netball player and made her debut for the English National Team ‘Vitality Roses’ in 1999. During her career, Sonia has competed at five Netball World Cups and three Commonwealth Games – making an incredible 123 international test appearances. Sonia now works as the England Netball Assistant Head coach.
Lee Phillips
Perhaps the least well known of the three before the start of Gladiators, Lee is a fitness professional, firefighter, and athlete. Following University, he became a full-time firefighter.
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Hide AdAfter joining the fire service, Lee began competing in firefighter fitness competitions and in 2017 and 2022 competed in the World Police and Firefighter Games in Los Angeles and Rotterdam amongst 10,000 athletes. He won gold in the Ultimate Firefighter and CrossFit competitions, making him 4 times World Champion.
What do you think of the BBC revival of Gladiators? Let me know what you think: [email protected].
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