The Gladiators arena has long been home to unforgettable characters, but not every story played out on screen. One such tale is that of Shark, a promising Gladiator whose journey was cut short before he could officially join the line-up. This untold story sheds light on what might have been and offers fans a glimpse behind the scenes of the show’s tumultuous sixth series.
Back in 1997, Series 6 of Gladiators was beginning production at London Weekend Television. With the unfortunate loss of some high-profile Gladiators in previous years, the hunt was on to find fresh talent to invigorate the show. As many GladFans remember, Series 6 brought significant changes and shake-ups—but not all of them went to plan.
Among the changes, Mr. “Awooga” himself, John Fashanu, stepped down from his presenting duties and was replaced by rugby union star Jeremy Guscott. The series also introduced new events like Tightrope and Cyclotron. While Cyclotron, an upside-down bicycle race, was ultimately scrapped due to technical issues, eagle-eyed fans may still spot its CGI model in the opening titles.
Most notably, the series welcomed five new Gladiators: Fox, Gold, Siren, Rocket, and the only new male Gladiator, Khan… or was he? This is the story of the mysterious Gladiator who almost joined the team—Shark.
The Making of a Gladiator
London-born Metin Hussein, a bodybuilder and longtime training partner of Rhino (Mark Smith), had aspirations of joining Gladiators. Encouraged by Rhino, Metin adjusted his training and submitted his resume and recent photos to the show’s producers, Nigel Lythgoe and Ken Warwick. His efforts earned him an audition at the London Nautical School, where he excelled in the gruelling fitness test against hundreds of others and a video interview.
The producers expressed interest in casting him—on one condition. He needed to grow his hair.
Over the following year, Metin periodically visited the LWT production office for progress photos. Finally, he received the call: his hair was long enough, and he’d made it onto the team as the new Gladiator, Shark.
I was briefed to be the new baddie Gladiator.
Shark (Metin Hussein)
Touted as the bad-boy rival to the infamous Wolf, Shark was set to bring a fresh dynamic to the Gladiators arena.
“I was briefed to be the new baddie Gladiator,” Shark explains. “I would’ve had lines like, ‘Wolf, you’re just an old prairie dog. I’m Shark, the king of the sea!’ He was going to be quite a tough act to follow, but one I would have enjoyed, I’m sure.”
Training Camp in Mauritius
Before filming began, the Gladiators team travelled to Mauritius for a training camp. The camp served as an opportunity for the new recruits to integrate with the team and film additional “Time Out” segments. Some fans may even spot Shark in the background of these shots.
Two of the new female Gladiators, Fox and Gold, joined Shark and existing stars Lightning, Saracen, Ace, Hunter, Rebel, and Cobra for a week of intense training under referee John Anderson. Shark quickly bonded with Ace, who nicknamed him “Mighty Met,” and reconnected with Rhino, who arrived later in the trip. However, Shark’s experience was clouded by a growing issue.
A week before departing for Mauritius, Shark began experiencing abdominal pains. Determined not to jeopardise his chances, he kept his discomfort to himself. As the week progressed, the pain worsened, and he struggled to perform at his best.
“There was a lovely lady called Ellie [from the Gladiators production team] who had a wonderful way of asking me if everything was okay,” Shark recalls. “She looked directly in my eyes and asked, ‘Are you okay? Are you sure?’ But at that time, I didn’t want to let anyone down and thought I had to keep fighting forward, so I said, ‘Yes, everything is fine.’ Perhaps with hindsight, I should have opened up to her.”
Health Struggles Behind the Scenes
Upon returning to the UK, Shark visited his doctor and was diagnosed with a stomach ulcer. While treatable, recovery would take time—time he didn’t have with filming fast approaching. Despite his best efforts to push through, Shark arrived at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham feeling weak and half-a-stone lighter.
Initially, Shark trained in events like Duel, Hang Tough, Powerball, and The Wall, though Skytrak proved more challenging. However, during training, he was called into a meeting with producer Ken Warwick. Shark was informed that due to his inability to perform at his peak, he would no longer be required for the show. He was replaced by Khan, who had recently completed his audition and joined the team just in time for the official photoshoot.
“I had no idea Khan was a potential replacement,” Metin explains. “My first encounter with him was when I arrived for the filming of the show.”
I do feel bad, I let Nigel and Ken down after they had invested so much time and preparation into getting me on the show.
Shark (Metin Hussein)
Life After Gladiators
Speaking to GladiatorsTV.com over 20 years later, Metin reflected on his experience with no hard feelings but admitted to some regrets.
“I do feel bad, I let Nigel and Ken down after they had invested so much time and preparation into getting me on the show,” he says. “Although looking back, maybe it just wasn’t the right time and there was a reason it didn’t work out.”
Metin, now known as “Mystic Met,” returned to his life as a psychic medium—a gift he says he has had since birth. Despite the extreme career shift, he still trains regularly and joked about having a role in a potential Gladiators return.
“I’d love to have a role in the show predicting who would win the events,” he laughs. “Although I do still train, doing full-time spiritual work is quite an extreme change.”
After years of keeping quiet about his Gladiators experience, Metin decided to share his story in response to continued interest from fans.
“For many years, I carried on my life with various business interests, but I always found my way back to being a psychic medium,” Metin explains. “It wasn’t until my eldest son came to me a year or two ago and said, ‘Dad, they are still mentioning you and looking to find out your side of what happened.’ I continued to dismiss it, but eventually, I thought it was time to evolve.”
After joining Instagram and discovering GladiatorsTV.com, Metin reached out to share his story.
“It’s all kind of bizarre. For a short time after Gladiators, I was contacted and approached by various people claiming to be from newspapers and magazines asking for my explanation as to why I never continued in the show. I was totally in awe of the Gladiators and all those involved and I really did not want to have anything misconstrued as to why I wasn’t continuing.”
“I thought it would only be right and proper, as there are interested fans, to go public and share this lovely story. So, with over 20 years of emotion and questioning why it wasn’t for me, I sent a private message. To my surprise, a message returned promptly, and the rest of the story is here as told.”
Why Share the Story Now?
After years of keeping quiet about his Gladiators experience, Metin decided to share his story in response to continued interest from fans.
“For many years, I carried on my life with various business interests, but I always found my way back to being a psychic medium,” Metin explains. “It wasn’t until my eldest son came to me a year or two ago and said, ‘Dad, they are still mentioning you and looking to find out your side of what happened.’ I continued to dismiss it, but eventually, I thought it was time to evolve.”
After joining Instagram and discovering GladiatorsTV.com, Metin reached out to share his story.
“It’s all kind of bizarre. For a short time after Gladiators, I was contacted and approached by various people claiming to be from newspapers and magazines asking for my explanation as to why I never continued in the show. I was totally in awe of the Gladiators and all those involved and I really did not want to have anything misconstrued as to why I wasn’t continuing.”
“I thought it would only be right and proper, as there are interested fans, to go public and share this lovely story. So, with over 20 years of emotion and questioning why it wasn’t for me, I sent a private message. To my surprise, a message returned promptly, and the rest of the story is here as told.”
A Message to the Fans
Now that the mystery of Gladiator Shark has finally been solved, does Metin have a message for the GladFans?
“I do hope this puts some closure for the lovely fans who have been so dedicated and interested after all these years. They deserve a pat on the back for keeping it going. Hope, love, and comfort.”
To hear more about Shark’s Gladiatorial experience and the untold moments of his journey, GladFans can tune into Shark’s episode of The GladPod, Gladiators TV’s podcast series. Streaming now on all major platforms and at podcast.gladiatorstv.com.
