A television personality has revealed he's exercising unprecedented caution in his personal life, in the wake of multiple controversies that have hit the BBC in recent times. As Gladiators prepares to return next week, Alex Gray – known as Apollo – spoke candidly about "the responsibility" that accompanies his role on the programme.
When questioned about whether he uses dating apps, he admitted: "I'm gonna be honest with you, I've probably never been more wanted in my life, but I've never been more cautious.
"There's a responsibility that comes with being a Gladiator and I don't take it lightly.
"You know, I love playing up to the myth of Apollo but at the same time, I wanna be a decent person and when I'm not on the show, I like to keep out of trouble as much as I can."
The Guardian's Helen Pitt also noted that a stringent policy has been implemented for all Gladiators in a bid to prevent any potential scandal, reports the Mirror.
She reports: "After Gregg Wallace-gate and various Strictly scandals, the BBC cannot afford any whiff of controversy around another prime-time show. That's why the Gladiators are drug tested each season."
Gregg was taken off MasterChef by the BBC and production firm Banijay UK last year, having co-presented the show with John Torode for two decades.
This came after an independent investigation, commissioned by MasterChef's producers and conducted by law firm Lewis Silkin, which scrutinised 83 allegations of inappropriate behaviour made against the chef spanning numerous years. The inquiry upheld 45 of the complaints made, the majority concerning inappropriate sexual remarks and banter, with at least one case involving unwanted physical contact.
In a public statement, the chef expressed being "deeply sorry for any distress" caused, emphasising he "never set out to harm or humiliate" anyone.
In a separate matter, John Torode was dismissed from his position following an upheld complaint regarding his alleged use of "an extremely offensive racist term".
Responding to the accusation, the chef released a statement saying he had "no recollection" of the incident.
He continued: "I want to be clear that I've always had the view that any racial language is wholly unacceptable in any environment. I'm shocked and saddened by the allegation as I would never wish to cause anyone any offence."
Strictly Come Dancing has experienced its own controversies in recent times – ranging from disputes between dance partners to allegations of drug misuse.
The broadcaster has confirmed it is examining the drug-related allegations with assistance from an external legal firm. To date, no individuals have been publicly identified or prosecuted, and the probe continues.
In 2025, participant Wynne Evans attracted attention after being accused of making a sexually inappropriate comment in the presence of fellow performers during the Strictly tour.
He released a statement at the time, stating: "My language was inappropriate and unacceptable, for which I sincerely apologise."
The BBC subsequently confirmed it had received no formal complaints at that point, but made it clear to Wynne that such conduct would not be tolerated. In 2024, the BBC implemented stricter duty-of-care measures on Strictly Come Dancing, including the introduction of chaperones in rehearsal rooms.
This move came in response to wider concerns about participant welfare, particularly following publicised disputes between Amanda Abbington and Giovanni Pernice, who has since left his position on the show.