Fans of the 90s TV show Gladiators were left gobsmacked when they spotted a familiar face on the new Squid Game spin-off, Squid Game: The Challenge.
The new show is based on the popular Netflix series from South Korea, where 456 contestants compete to win a whopping £3.725million.
The reality version doesn't involve any real-life eliminations like in the original, but participants are still giving it their all to bag the cash prize. As fans were enjoying the episodes, some did a double-take when they recognised a contestant.
After over two decades away from our screens, it was revealed that Michael Van Wijk, better known as Wolf from Gladiators, was one of the competitors.
Fans rushed to social media to confirm if it was indeed Wolf they had seen. One viewer tweeted: "As if, Wolf from Gladiators is in Squid Game!"
Another viewer chimed in with their surprise, exclaiming: "Not Wolf from Gladiators participating in the Squid Game!"
Even the bigwigs at Netflix joined in the fun, challenging viewers to spot the iconic "90s villain", teasing a further $4.56m prize – albeit an imaginary one.
After the show's debut on the streaming giant, Wolf himself posted a picture from his time on the show, reflecting on his experience. But from the looks of it, he wasn't exactly having a ball.
Sharing the snap on Instagram, Wolf wrote: "I have not seen this yet, but I'm sure when people see it that [one of the games] looks like it took a few minutes to complete, when in reality we had to stand still for a couple of hours in -3 degree temperatures."
Many of his Gladiator fans hadn't realised that the legendary star was part of the show and quickly flooded his account with messages of support.
One fan commented: "I wasn't going to watch it, but if you're in it – now I will!" While another joked: "*sighs*… Well now I HAVE to watch it…"
Michael, aka Wolf, became a major icon from the show, appearing in all eight seasons of the programme, which aired on ITV from 1992 to 1999. After Gladiators ended, Michael packed up and moved to New Zealand, where he's now a successful businessman running a chain of gyms.
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