Tom Stoltman, a 32-year-old Scottish athlete and three-time World’s Strongest Man champion, has been announced as a new cast member for the fourth series of the BBC entertainment program Gladiators. The 6ft 8in competitor from Invergordon in the Highlands made history as the first Scot to win the World’s Strongest Man title when he claimed the championship in 2021.
Stoltman’s competitive résumé includes retaining the World’s Strongest Man title in 2022 and winning it again in 2024. More recently, he secured his fourth Britain’s Strongest Man title in February, defeating competitors Adam Bishop and Paddy Haynes. However, a hand injury affected his performance in qualifying heats for the 2026 World’s Strongest Man competition.
The fourth installment of Gladiators will begin filming in Sheffield next month, with the series scheduled to air on BBC One and BBC iPlayer in 2027. The specific character name Stoltman will adopt on the show has not yet been disclosed. In remarks about his casting, Stoltman characterized the opportunity as a dream role and emphasized his commitment to competing in the arena format. He indicated his intention to leverage his background in strength competition while bringing determination and personality to the program, noting his hope to motivate viewers to pursue their own objectives.