Eighteen months ago, former Australian netball captain Liz Ellis was contemplating going back to work – as a lawyer.
WATCH NOW: Gladiators reboot trailer. Article continues after video.
“My contract with Netball Australia had ended, I was just about
to turn 50 and I’d let my hair go grey,” she tells New Idea.
“I thought, ‘That’s it’ for any future TV work I might be offered. I’ve got a law degree, so I signed up for [job search] website Seek to look for a ‘proper’ job.”
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The universe had other ideas though! Instead, Liz’s 12-year-old daughter Evelyn persuaded her to take part in the 2023 season of I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! – which she won.
Then, in addition to her regular appearances on The Project, Liz was offered the chance to co-host the upcoming reboot of Gladiators alongside Beau Ryan.
For Liz, signing on was a “no-brainer” because she’d long been a fan of the iconic game show.
“A few people have asked me if I loved Gladiators when I was a kid and I’m like, ‘no, I was grown-up when it was on in the ’90s – but I really did love it then!’” Liz says smiling.
“This is my dream job.”
Working alongside former rugby league star Beau has been another big plus.
“Beau is like working with a big, energetic, smart puppy,” she says.
“He is screamingly funny too. I was constantly having to get my makeup redone on set because he made me cry with laughter.”
Liz was also inspired to take part because Gladiators is a show she and her husband, Matthew Stocks, can watch with Evelyn and their son Austin, seven.
“I think this is such a family-friendly show, but I brought my kids on to
the set one day to see what they thought,” says Liz.
“I was quite nervous in case they didn’t like it, but they were mesmerised! They just loved – and were inspired by – the Gladiators and the Contenders, who are there to test themselves physically.”
“Once I knew they were hooked I was like ‘phew!’”
Liz is proud to be part of a show that celebrates both male and female athleticism.
“Our Gladiator guys, like Cobra, Dragon, and Maximus are supremely fit, but the girls, including Raven, Halo, and Chaos are next-level fierce.”
Liz is ecstatic over how Aussies have embraced women’s sport recently.
“How good has it been?” she says.
“From everyone getting behind the Matildas to the Australian Diamonds winning their 12th Netball World Cup, it’s just been unbelievable.”
Liz adds that now, it’s not unusual for her to walk into the family TV room to find her “sports-mad” kids engrossed in a Women’s Big Bash cricket telecast.
“Women’s sport has just become ‘sport’ in the past year,” she adds. “It’s about bloody time!”
