Mike Hammond: Gladiators

“My favourite game show host [was] Ian Turpie when he hosted The New Price Is Right back in the ’80s when I was still a kid,” says Mike, who hosted Gladiators in the mid-’90s. “I thought he was brilliant, and you really got a sense of the fun and enthusiasm he brought to the show.”

These days Mike works in radio, and his time with the popular sports entertainment show is just a distant memory.

“My run with Gladiators was about 25 years ago – but it’s a real tribute to the huge team of about 300 people that were involved in making the show the truly spectacular event that it was and loved by people of all ages,” he says.

“The whole thing was so much larger than life, from the various games and props, through to the Gladiators’ immense skill and strength. And often the mere ‘mortal’ contestants gave the Gladiators a real run for their money!

“Gladiators holds a fond place in my memory.”