Kirsty Gallacher (Gladiators) Interview
After graduating from the London College of Fashion, Kirsty Gallacher worked as an editorial assistant for Sky Sports, before beginning her television-presenting career on Sky Sports News and Soccer AM. She then presented her own show, Kirsty's Home Videos and TV Meltdown for Sky One, became one of the original presenters on Channel 4's RI:SE and co-hosted Simply The Best for ITV.
In 2005, Kirsty co-presented Sky One's All Star Cup and went on to win The Games on Channel 4, before returning to co-host the next series in 2006. Kirsty has hosted a number of sports shows on BBC Five Live and co-presented Only Fools On Horses for Sport Relief on BBC.
For this year's Sport Relief, Kirsty co-hosted the celebrity boxing match between Ben Shephard and Lemar. Kirsty is a regular presenter of The National Lottery for BBC and hosts the Ant vs Dec feature of Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Take Away on ITV1.
Away from presenting, Kirsty is a keen athlete, excelling in a range of sports including swimming, running and golf.
What are your memories of the original series of Gladiators?
My memories are that is was a loud, fun, event-style programme. My brother and I loved watching it. It was amazing in so many ways because the Gladiators and the Contenders were so fit, the events were so big and exciting and the NIA was huge. It was a great, glitzy Saturday night show. It's a great concept.
What are you most looking forward to this time round?
It's a new era, a new millennium of Gladiators and for Ian and I we need to make it good, if not better than the original, and that's our challenge. The show has been a long time in coming back and everybody is looking forward to it. We have to bring that exciting atmosphere back.
These days, fitness and health are far more prominent and we're going to have some amazingly fit bodies out there. Our new Gladiators are just as powerful, if not more powerful than the originals.
Are you glad to see John Anderson back?
Of course, he's amazing. I've worked with him before when he refereed an early Ant vs Dec on Saturday Night Takeaway and he reminded me that I actually challenged him on his refereeing. He's fantastic, he's very up for it and he looks exactly the same. He is the voice of Gladiators.
Do you think you'd make a good Contender?
These men and women are so fit, they're at their optimum of fitness and they look unbelievable, so I don't think I'd cut it as a Gladiator or a Contender.
How do you think you'll handle any grumpy Gladiators?
I have been worrying about that. No one likes to lose, especially me, so I'm sure that the Gladiators are going to be up for it. But we also want a really challenging show, so we don't want the Gladiators to win every time. Perhaps for me, the least said the better if a Gladiator loses. I remember Ulrika, John Fashanu and Jeremy Guscott, when they presented, having to deal with the odd tantrum.
What would your Gladiator name be?
I've been thinking about this and because my life is constantly 100mph, with a baby, new projects and pets, an apt name would be Live Wire.
