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Gladiators referee John Anderson dies aged 92 as tributes from show’s stars pour in

The death of original Gladiators referee and TV legend John Anderson has been announced - he was 92 years old

His passing came six months after John thrilled fans when he popped up on the Instagram account of another star from the original ITV series. Lee Phillips, Mark Clattenburg, and Sonia Mkoloma are the new trio of referees on Gladiators in 2024 (Credit: BBC) Earlier this year, James Crossley – better known to Gladiators fans as Hunter – shared some highlights from his run on the programme amid fan reminiscences about the ITV series. A clip he uploaded to Insta featured John – dressed in his Gladiators referee uniform of a black and white stripy top, and cap – giving his trademark prompts and countdown.

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