Gladiators star Toby Olubi has said role models are a “big deal” but there are not “many good ones” around today. Ahead of the semi-finals of the BBC gameshow airing on Saturday, Olubi – also known as Gladiator Phantom – spoke about the need for younger people to have role models. Speaking on ITV’s Good Morning Britain, the 37-year-old described the impact Gladiator Saracen, played by Michael Lewis, had on him when he was younger. Olubi said: “Role models are a big deal. “For me, one of the big things was being able to see certain characters within my community and see them prevail. “Saracen was actually a Gladiator of the past who was in the same area as me, went to the same gym, in fact I remember seeing him when I was in my early 20s but I reverted back to being a 10-year-old boy when I saw him. “Seeing him in real life makes it more attainable, and I looked up to him, and obviously I followed in his footsteps. “Role models is a big deal, especially for youth and for younger people. I agree with you, there aren’t many good ones in this day and age.” The gameshow, hosted by father-son duo Bradley and Barney Walsh, sees two male and two female contenders compete a series of physical challenges against the show’s elite athletes known as the Gladiators – who are each given a fictional character name. The series was originally debuted in the 90s on ITV and then later saw reboot series, with the most recent revival on the BBC. Olubi is a British bobsledder who competed in the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics as part of Team GB, and joined Gladiators in 2023. He added: “Bobsleigh is the sport that we probably hold testament to because it’s a sport where you have to run towards your fear every single day, and so it builds character. “That’s what we bring to the table. We bring a lot of character and a lot of grit, and then it’s up to the contenders to match that. “The big thing for me is to make sure that we are representing sort of what life is about. Life is about taking on adversity. “Isn’t as easy sometimes, and the only option you have is to fight or to run away and we hope that all the contenders fight in every endeavour.” The Gladiators semi-final will air on Saturday and can be watched on BBC One and iPlayer.