NEW Gladiator Steel transformed into Britain’s fittest man after growing up as a podgy teenager.
The hunk, real name Zack George, was officially unveiled as one of the first athletes to star in the eagerly anticipated BBC One reboot.
Beeb bosses also confirmed my story of last year, where I revealed that father and son Bradley and Barney Walsh would host the series.
But while they’re familiar faces, Zack is unrecognisable from his schooldays when he gorged on fast food while playing endless hours on his PlayStation.
Zack says: “I led a really unhealthy lifestyle.
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“I practically inhaled chocolate and ate McDonald’s and KFC — a family bucket — five times a week.
“The more fast food I ate, the more I craved it. It was a vicious cycle.”
He played sports as a youngster but struggled, as he would get out of breath quickly — and opposing teams called him “fat”. He says: “I brushed it off, but it’s never nice to be called nasty names.
“If my family tried to get me out for a walk at the weekend I kicked up a massive fuss. I was really lazy.
“Being overweight makes you feel rubbish. You can’t walk or run far so you don’t want to exercise and you often end up finding comfort in fast food.”
But after swapping his beloved console for exercise, the Leicestershire-born star never looked back and became a champion in UK CrossFit in 2020.
The gruelling fitness regime combines elements of high-intensity interval training (HIIT), power- lifting, gymnastics and other exercises.
And now he’s set to showcase his strength to a bigger audience on the Gladiators reboot, which starts next month in Sheffield.
Zack says: “I was inspired by the Gladiators as a child, but never imagined I’d be physically fit enough to be considered a ‘superhuman’. I hope a new generation of fans will look up to me as their new strong, unbreakable hero, Steel.”
Zack was announced alongside Fury, aka Jodie Ounsley, a professional rugby player for Exeter Chiefs.
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Explaining the reason behind her new Gladiator name, she says:
“Watching Gladiators growing up I was always in awe of their strength and power and now I am one.
“I hope contenders are ready to feel the Fury.”
CLIMES ARNOTT SO COLD
MARTIN Compston is going on a Northern adventure – which sounds freezing.
The Line of Duty star, who played DI Steve Arnott, will explore Shetland then travel the length of Norway with best pal Phil MacHugh.
Martin Compston’s Northern Fling is the sequel to his hit Scottish Fling, which aired in September and followed the duo across their homeland.
Martin says: “North, for some, conjures up images of cold bleakness and a tough life, but is it really that? I don’t think so.
“We are heading to Norway to get real northern exposure – to the life and the people, at work and having fun.”
The six-parter is expected to air on BBC2 and iPlayer later this year.