BBC viewers are in for a treat this Twixmas as Lord Alan Sugar returns for The Celebrity Apprentice with not one but two festive episodes of pure chaos in the boardroom.
This year’s line-up, tasked with making and marketing Christmas biscuits in Lapland, features a stacked cast including EastEnders actor Jake Wood, Radio 1 DJ Charlie Hedges, former JLS band member JB Gill and TV barrister Rob Rinder.
Perhaps one of the lesser-known names in this year’s slate is Matt Morsia, who viewers will recognise as his alter-ego, Legend, on the hit BBC revival game show Gladiators.
But while you may know him by his steely persona, how much do you know about the man behind the Gladiator? Keep reading to find out all about Matt Morsia’s life off-screen…
Who is Matt Morsia?
Matt, 39, is a fitness coach who made his debut on the hit show Gladiators in 2024. His persona as Legend is arrogant and cocky, which has proven a hit with viewers who love him as the “villain”.
On the show, Legend is tasked with preventing contestants from defeating the pro athletes in their specialist events.
For Matt, starring on the show has been a lasting dream. “I watched the original Gladiators as a kid,” he said. “From the age of nine or ten years old, I wanted to be a Gladiator. It’s been a lifelong ambition, I guess.”
Matt is married to his wife, Sarah, who is a managing director of Matt’s fitness company, MattDoesFitness, and with whom he shares two sons.
Matt Morsia’s career pre-Gladiators
Before his success on the game show, Barnet-born Matt established a career in competitive sport and won bronze medals at Championship level in both long and triple jump. After a stress fracture injury, he went on to compete in powerlifting, earning a silver medal at the 2016 European Championships.
As well as his impressive sporting achievements, Matt has also built up an established brand as a fitness influencer and YouTuber, culminating in over 1.2 million Instagram followers and 2.3 million YouTube subscribers. He also has his own fitness app, Morsia, and released a Sunday Times bestselling book, The 24/7 Body, in 2020.
© BBCWhat did Matt Morsia say about The Celebrity Apprentice?
Matt carried his over-confident Legend attitude into The Celebrity Apprentice Christmas specials, telling the BBC: “I knew I’d be good at it, so it felt like the perfect opportunity to showcase my entrepreneurial ability.”
He continued: “I don’t really get nervous. I’m the opposite, I love high‑pressure, intense situations where there’s a huge risk of failure. That’s what I thrive on.”
© BBC/NakedWhen asked about the differences between himself and Legend, Matt replied: “I’m very similar to Legend, I’m basically just a slightly dialed‑down version. But also I’ve done YouTube for 12 years as myself and I’ve amassed over a billion views, so that’s my bread and butter, I’ve been doing that a long time so being me on camera is natural.”
Was he nervous to come under the watchful glare of Lord Sugar? “No, not at all,” Matt said. “I see him as my peer. In my opinion, I’m as good as, or better than anyone else in the room. I had no reason to be nervous. I was looking forward to it; I thrived in the boardroom.”
The second episode of The Celebrity Apprentice lands on BBC iPlayer and BBC One on Tuesday 30 December from 9 pm. The first episode is available to steam on iPlayer now.
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