John Anderson Dies: British ‘Gladiators’ Referee Known For Iconic Catchphrase Call Was 92

Jesse Whittock
·1 min read

John Anderson, the iconic voice of physical gameshow Gladiators in the 1990s and 2000s, has died aged 92.

The official Gladiators Instagram account confirmed Anderson’s passing. According to Athletics Weekly, he died in the early hours of Sunday (July 28).

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Anderson is known for being the head official during Gladiators run on ITV between 1992 and 2008, with his unmistakable voice eternally connected with the show in the UK. He also officiated a short-lived Sky revival of the show, which aired in 2008, 16 years before the BBC reprised the show earlier this year to ratings success.

Tributes have poured in, with many referencing Anderson’s iconic catchphrase, “Contender, ready! Gladiator, ready! Three… two… one…,” which was delivered with gusto in his recognizable Glasgow accent as games got underway in the show, which pits contestants against a group of physically-gifted ‘gladiators.’

The BBC Gladiators account said: “We send our deepest sympathy to his family and friends.”

Mark Clattenburg, the head official on the BBC series, shared a note from an official Gladiators account mourning Anderson’s death, and captioned it: “RIP Legend.”

Outside of his TV work, Anderson was head coach for the Amateur Athletics Association of England and Scottish national coach and worked with athletes such as Scottish Olympic runner Liz McColgan, who won silver at in the 10,000m at the Olympics in 1988, and former 5,000m world record holder David Moorcroft.

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