​HOW DINGLE DING-DONG FLOORED HARDMAN HUNTER

Gladiators favourite Hunter has revealed he was completely floored by a Mandy Dingle punch between takes on the set of Emmerdale. Speaking on the GladPod - a podcast celebrating the hit 1990s TV show Gladiators, hosted by former Gladiator Jet, aka Diane Youdale, and journalist David Blackmore – Hunter, aka James Crossley, revealed his appearance in the popular Yorkshire-based soap opera came to a soggy end after finding himself on the end of actress Lisa Reilly's fist.

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“The storyline was The Woolpack having a tug of war competition,” said the York-born 47-year-old, who became the youngest Gladiator when he joined the show aged just 19. 

“I drove my car around the corner, flipped my car and they basically help me out of the car. I go and help them with the tug of war and they help me to get my car back right!

“I was messing around with Lisa, as we’d become quite good friends as I’d been back on the show four times, and she said ‘how strong are you?’.

“At the time my party trick was to get people to punch me in the stomach and I could take it – believe me, I don’t do it any more!

“She punched me, I jokingly stepped back and fell down a bank into the river. Photos were being taken, because my Wool Pack tug of war outfit was wet they had to stop filming. It cost them a fortune me rolling round in the river, as they only had one top. They had to wash it and dry it, get it sorted – everyone was saying “Mandy just took Hunter out!”

Gladiator Hunter was talking to the GladPod, presented by Gladiator Jet, aka Diane Youdale, and journalist David Blackmore. Together, they catch up with the biggest names from the era’s biggest show, to lift the lid on life as a Gladiator, and find out what they are up to now.

To learn more about how Gladiator Hunter thought his career was over before it began, how he got his Gladiator name and how he and Ace came to terms with the end of the Gladiators chapter, search and subscribe to the GladPod through your usual podcast suppliers. Or click here.