'I won Gladiators - now I'd love to become one'

Having been bashed, bumped and bruised on his way to winning Gladiators earlier this year, you might expect Josh McDonald wants to put his feet up.

But the Glasgow fitness coach has not only signed up for another go on the famous Eliminator challenge - he fancies becoming one of the Lycra-clad stars.

The 29-year-old triumphed in the third season of the popular programme, which was filmed in Sheffield last year.

He is now getting the chance to go again on games like Duel, Gauntlet and The Wall as part of a live tour across the country.

Several new Gladiators have joined the show for the new season, including three-time World's Strongest Man champion Tom Stoltman.

And Josh admitted he wouldn't mind "turning to the dark side" and joining the likes of Viper, Legend and Scotland's own Sabre.

He said: "I'd love to be a Gladiator and I think I'd be fantastic at it, with the message I bring, the personality I've got and the athletic ability I have.

"The problem is that while the gladiators are the pinnacle, they can't actually win the show - only the contenders can do that, and I'm really competitive.

"So you're better off being a contender than a Gladiator in some ways, as I don't think you would get the emotional rollercoaster that a contender will get from it.

"But if the opportunity to be a Gladiator came up, then I'd be there."

Josh was actually edged out in the first round of the show, but returned in the next stage after an injury to another contestant.

He did not let his second chance slip away, storming through to the final and taking the trophy after beating Tyler Spence, a teacher from Wigan, in a closely-fought contest.

However while Josh was jubilant to win the competition, the victory also brought with it a mixture of emotions.

He first watched the show growing up alongside his mother Clare, a single parent who raised him and his two younger brothers.

But in 2024, a few months before he got the offer to appear on the programme, his mother died after a long illness.

Josh then became the guardian of his younger brother Max, who was 14 at the time.

"I used to watch the show growing up with my mum," he recalls.

"She loved Wolf [from the 90s version] and it was something you'd sit on the couch going 'oh I could do that, I'd love that' and then the opportunity came up.

"Just before the show [was filmed] I wasn't taking care of myself as much, as I had lost my mum and was taking guardianship of Max and having that extra responsibility.

"There was a motivation of trying to prove myself that I could still compete and give Max something to cheer about, so I got back in training again."

Now he is trying to get ready for the games again, this time for the live tour.

It starts in Aberdeen this weekend and includes four shows in front of a home Glasgow crowd later this month.

"You can't go into a gym and just practice Duel, so what I am trying to do just now is focus on staying fit and healthy in general," he says.

"I've been at the local climbing centre trying to prepare for the Wall as that was the game I struggled with the most.

"In training I had been one of the quickest, and I'd thought to myself 'oh I'll get 10 points here' and then I messed it up every single time.

"I don't know if it was the pressure that got to me, as it's different when you have a Gladiator behind you, or maybe I just had too high expectations.

"I'm determined to do better on the tour."

Getting back involved with Gladiators was not something Josh - who proudly displays the trophy from the show on a table in his living room - had to think twice about.

"I'd have Gladiators champion tattooed on my forehead if I could so I bit their hand off to do it," he said.

"Doing the TV show was one of the highlights of my entire life and something I'll never forget so having the opportunity to relive it in Scotland is so exciting."

But no matter what is thrown at him Josh said being a guardian to Max was the toughest challenge he faced in life.

He added: "I've always had big brother responsibilities, and my mum was a single parent so I always tried to support her.

"But as soon as I stepped into the guardian role it flipped everything on its head. It's not something you can prepare for."

Since winning Gladiators he has become involved in various charities, including raising awareness for kinship charities.

Josh hopes he can help highlight that there is support available for people in similar situations to himself.

He said: "I thought I was one in a million and I had to stumble my way through it.

"A lot of the information I obtained was just me sourcing it and I felt very isolated.

"But there are thousands of us out there and I want them to feel like they are not alone."