Croydon Gladiator promises Destruction

2:35pm Friday 11th April 2008

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A 38-year-old Croydon man will be flexing his muscles on Sky One's revival of cult 90s show Gladiators.

Damar Martin will be taking on contenders as one of the 12 new Gladiators.

“Determination and strength. A Gladiator has to want to win and if I lose I'll be upset. I'll have a tantrum.”

Damar Martin

Named Destroyer, Damar is described as "determined and strong, angry and unstoppable - nothing gets in his way".

The 17st 5ft 11in personal trainer started to train with weights at the age of 19.

"I'm the oldest of the Gladiators so for me I was watching it before I went out on a Saturday night. It was one of those shows I watched and thought, I could do that, I could be a Gladiator'," he said.

Damar says his favourite Gladiators from the original TV show were Shadow for his brute strength and Wolf for his personality.

Sky One says the show is a big, bold reinvention of the original - but a number of familiar elements will remain including original referee John Anderson.

Ian Wright and Kirsty Gallacher will preside over the contest as 32 contenders take on the challenge to win the £50,000 prize.

Damar, who refuses to admit he has any weaknesses, says the audience can expect destruction.

He's most looking forward to the dual event where Gladiator and contender try and knock each other off opposite podiums with pugil sticks which look like giant cotton buds.

Speaking of his best qualities Damar remarked: "Determination and strength. A Gladiator has to want to win and if I lose I'll be upset. I'll have a tantrum."

The new series launches in May. For more information go to sky.com/gladiators.

Watch a clip of the original show's final

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