Gladiators Legend Ace Admits New TV Show Was 'Scariest Job and Life-Changing'
The former Gladiator who once dated Katie Price before becoming a vicar has joined a new television programme that he describes as the "hardest and scariest" endeavour he has ever undertaken. The Reverend Warren Furman, known as Ace on the original run of Gladiators, has taken on a role in ITV's reality competition show The Summit, which he says was "profoundly life changing."
The Ultimate Challenge on Television
The reality competition series premiered on ITV on Monday, 9 February, and follows fourteen strangers as they attempt to climb an 8,500-foot mountain in New Zealand within fourteen days to win a cash prize of £200,000. Warren, who was previously engaged to Katie Price, is one of the contestants. The show is presented by Ben Shephard, who joined the former Gladiator in this intense adventure.
Ahead of the show's release, Warren shared that the gruelling challenge was one of the most difficult experiences of his life. "When Gladiators came out, it was the ultimate challenge. But you've never seen anything like this," he stated. He elaborated to The Sun, "Humans pushed their limits. This is the ultimate, ultimate challenge. It's the hardest thing I've ever done. The scariest. And profoundly life changing."
Faith and Conflict on the Mountain
Warren, who now serves as an Associate Curate in Charge at a church in Hammersmith, revealed that he asked his parishioners to pray for guidance regarding his participation in the series. He added that God "loves a mountain and a tent." While Warren has not disclosed specific events from the show, presenter Ben Shephard mentioned that he had to diffuse a fight between the vicar and another contestant, describing it as a "very febrile situation" and "incendiary."
Warren explained that conflicts might have arisen due to the show's format. Contestants were given the prize money in cash, to be split evenly among them, with the first person to reach the mountain's summit winning the entire amount. He noted that this setup "had a way of bringing the worst out of people" and showcased "capitalism at its worst," as individuals began to view each other not as humans but as "£20k."
Personal Life and Past Relationships
Warren's involvement in the show comes just weeks after his ex-girlfriend, Katie Price, married for the fourth time. Warren and Katie dated in the late 1990s, and he recalled an incident where he got into a confrontation because of her. He told The Sun about a time at the Epping Forest Country Club when a man walked between him and Katie and winked at her. Warren stopped the man and warned him not to do it again, leading to "some words" being exchanged before the man's friends arrived and "he pretended to rear up."
Since their split, Warren has married and has two children. Meanwhile, Katie has several children and recently married Lee Andrews, a Dubai-based businessman. This marriage surprised many of her fans, as she had only just revealed her separation from Married At First Sight star JJ Slater. Katie married Lee in Dubai just days after their engagement.
The Summit represents a significant new chapter for Warren Furman, blending his past as a Gladiator with his present as a vicar in a high-stakes television challenge that has left a lasting impact on his life.
