’90s TV Personality John Anderson Dead at 92

John Anderson, the voice of the original Gladiators TV show, has died. Anderson passed away on Sunday, July 28 at the age of 92, the official Gladiators Instagram account confirmed. A cause of death was not disclosed.

“We are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of our beloved referee, John Anderson, at the age of 92,” the statement read. “Our hearts go out to his friends and family. John will forever be remembered as the iconic voice that brought us ‘Contenders Ready! Gladiators Ready!’. Rest in peace John.”

Born in Scotland, Anderson got his start in athletics. He guided the careers of numerous Olympians, including Dave Moorcroft, who won the 5000m race in 1982, and Scottish Olympic runner Liz McColgan, who won silver at in the 10,000m at the Olympics in 1988, per Athletics Weekly. Anderson was head coach for the Amateur Athletics Association of England and Scottish national coach.

Anderson, however, was best known for Gladiators, the British game show in which four “contenders” compete in a series of physically challenging events against a group of elite athletes, known as the show’s “Gladiators.” Anderson joined Gladiators as the original referee at its start in 1992, quickly becoming known for his catchphrase, “Contender ready! Gladiator ready!” He would follow that introduction ’90s TV Personality John Anderson Dead at 92with a countdown, saying: “Three, two, one.” He remained with the ITV series throughout its initial run from 1992 through 2000. He later returned to officiate the Sky revival of the show, which aired in 2008.

Paying tribute to Anderson, Mark Clattenburg, the host of BBC’s current Gladiators revival, which debuted earlier this year, remembered the Gladiators legend as “one of the most iconic voices and will always be remembered. I had the most difficult task to follow him in the new series of Gladiators and watching him keep the Gladiators within the rules will always be with me!! Rest in peace legend!!”

Moorcroft, meanwhile, told Athletics Weekly, “I’m certain that I would never have been a decent athlete if it wasn’t for John. Not just because of the training he gave me, but he took a shy kid who didn’t believe in himself and just had that amazing ability to believe in me and others. He turned water into wine.”

Anderson is survived by his wife Christine Anderson, who he married in 1962, per The Sun.