Joel Dommett 'messed up' as he dropped hint about celebrity Gladiators in huge 'disaster'

Joel Dommett dropped a huge hint that he was starring on Gladiators (Image: BBC)

Joel Dommett dropped a huge hint that he was joining the celebrity edition of Gladiators, months before the news was confirmed.

The presenter, 39, suggested he would be taking part in the series when he posted a gym selfie in May 2024.

In the image, The Masked Singer host flexed his biceps wearing a white vest. But it was the caption that got fans talking when he wrote: "Ultimately, we all just want to be a Gladiator and be hugged by Bradley Walsh."

Joel's followers immediately flooded comments with messages about whether he was signing up for the celebrity version of the show - the first since the reboot of Gladiators aired on the BBC.

However, the I'm A Celebrity Unpacked presenter denied that he had joined the cast, admitting he "messed up" by posting the picture with that caption.

Joel got fans talking after he made a comment about being a gladiator (Image: Instagram/Joel Dommett)

"I had a picture of me when I was doing Survivor, I looked pretty hench," he told Virgin Radio. "I was thinking of a good caption, and you can't just go 'I look good in this'. That's not a good caption."

Joel continued: "Instead I went, 'Oh, is there anything better than being a Gladiator?' I just didn't think about it. Suddenly the next day, and it was like, 'Are you going to be on Celebrity Gladiators?' I was like, 'Oh no, I've really messed up here'."

The dad-of-one added: "This is a PR disaster. Everyone's asking me about it."

Joel went up against comedian Rob Beckett in the celebrity edition of Gladiators, which first hit screens on New Year's Day.

Ahead of taking on the eliminator, Joel was just one point ahead of Rob with 17 points, meaning he had a half-second lead in the final challenge.

Joel and Ellie won the celebrity edition of Gladiators (Image: BBC)

In the end, it was Joel 'The Dominator' Dommett who swung through and won the game.

"It was so tough," Joel said after his win. "I knew Rob was there the entire time."

He added: "We've been so scared all day, we're both petrified of heights. The fact that I did that, I just feel like we've overcome something amazing."

Meanwhile actress Ellie Taylor, 41, took on presenter Louise Minchin.

Despite Louise, 56, having a two-second head start, the Ted Lasso star dominated the eliminator and was crowned the other Gladiators celebrity champion.

Speaking after her win, Ellie said: "I can't believe I've just done that! I've had such a wonderful time with Louise, it's been brilliant. I'm really proud of myself, I'm really proud of my pelvic floor – it's held out much better than I expected!"