Gladiators legend John Anderson has died at the age of 92, it has been confirmed.
Anderson was the show’s original referee and appeared right from when it began in 1992 until 2000.
Viewers have known and loved him for his catchphrase: ‘Contenders, ready! Gladiators, ready.’
As reported by Athletics Weekly, Anderson died in the early hours of Sunday (July 28).
One of the first people to pay tribute was Dave Moorcroft, a former runner who was coached by Anderson.
Moorcroft was one of Anderson’s most famous pupils and biggest success stories, as he went on to break the 5,000m world record in Oslo in 1982.
Praising Anderson, he said: ‘I can’t speak too highly of John.
‘He turned water into wine. At our club (Coventry Godiva) we’d never had anybody break four minutes for mile, but not only did I do it but Tim Redman, Colin Ridding and Steve James all broke four minutes.
‘I don’t think any of them would describe themselves as world beaters but John just got the best out of people. I’m certain that I would never have been a decent athlete if it wasn’t for John. Not just because of the training he gave me, but he took a shy kid who didn’t believe in himself and just had that amazing ability to believe in me and others.
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‘He would die for his athletes and he never took a step backwards. He was a fighter in everything he did. He coached me from the age of 16 and never took a penny. It cost him a fortune for the privilege of working for nothing.’
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