2 weeks Ago By Angie Quinn
Gladiators is set to make a much-anticipated return to our screens on Saturday evening (5th April) with the second round of semi-finals kicking off on BBC One. The beloved show, hosted by Bradley and Barney Walsh, will introduce returning contenders to battle against the Gladiators, including Legend, in hopes of winning a place in the final. The role of Legend in the thrilling reboot of the classic 90s gameshow is taken on by Matt Morsia.
The 38-year-old is no stranger to fierce competition as he is a former Championship bronze medal-winning long, triple jumper, and silver medal-winning powerlifter, and he's not easy to beat on gruelling challenges. But Matt hasn't always been in the spotlight. Up until eight years ago, he had a very 'normal' job.
In 2017, while working as a PE teacher in Kent, Matt made a life-changing decision. He left his job at Folkestone Academy to focus on his YouTube channel, which has since garnered 2.25 million subscribers.
The ex-powerlifter also boasts a massive social media following, with 1.2 million followers on Instagram . In 2020, he published his first book, The 24/7 Body, which quickly became a Sunday Times Bestseller.
Now, he's shifting gears to become a Gladiator under the moniker of Legend. Becoming a Gladiator was always a "life goal" for him, as he believed he'd be "really good" at it, reports the Radio Times. "I watched the original Gladiators as a kid," he shared.
"From the age of nine or 10 years old, I wanted to be a Gladiator. It's been a lifelong ambition, I guess." Matt, a father to two sons, Luca and Mauro, is also an entrepreneur has also seen success with his own energy drink, Morsia Energy Drink that was created in 2022.
He also boasts thousands of users on his Morsia fitness app, which carries a monthly fee of £14.99, and helps clients to "smash your fitness goals". In 2020, Matt revealed to KentOnline that he earned more in a month than he did in a year as a teacher, thanks to income from his MattDoesFitness channel and partnerships with Gymshark and MyProtein.
Matt's wife Sarah also left her teaching position at a primary school to assist him full-time with the channel, gaining thousands of followers on her personal Instagram account. Having found fame through new media platforms like YouTube, Matt is now a household name thanks to his portrayal of Legend. Gladiators airs at 5:50pm on Saturday, on BBC One and iPlayer.
