Bradley Walsh’s son Barney sparked a reaction from viewers of The One Show on
Thursday night as the father-son duo joined hosts Alex Jones and Roman Kemp for
the programme’s “A One Big Thank You” Christmas special, which was dedicated to
inspirational and unsung heroes who do amazing things for others at Christmas. Bradley, 64, and Barney, 27, appeared on the show to chat about the upcoming Gladiators Celebrity special and also helped Alex and Roman surprise Ivylue from the Black Country Community Gospel Choir with a hamper as a thank-you for her hard work raising money for the homeless.
© BBCWhile fans were delighted to see the pair on their screens, they couldn’t help but point out the similarity in appearance between Barney and the show’s presenter Roman, 31, who was formerly the host of Capital Breakfast.
Taking to social media, one person wrote: “Seeing Roman Kemp and Barney Walsh on #theoneshow is strange to me. They both live in the same place in my brain,” while another added: “Wait, Barney Walsh and Roman Kemp AREN’T the same person?”
© BBCA third fan penned: “My Nan will be having a moment right now seeing Barney and Roman in the same place at the same time. She thinks they are the same person, forever mixing them up,” while a fourth viewer remarked: “I always thought Barney & Roman were the same person.”
© NurPhoto via Getty ImagesOther fans were simply glad to see Barney and Bradley on the show, with one person writing: “Great to see Bradley and Barney Walsh on their One Show. Those two are hilarious together. #OneShow.”
Barney and his dad will be back on our screens on January 1 for a one-off celebrity edition of the game show, which will see Rob Beckett (Rob & Romesh Vs), Joel Dommett (The Masked Singer) and Ellie Taylor (Ted Lasso) and TV presenter Louise Minchin put their speed and strength to the test as they face the iconic Gladiators before going head to head in the Eliminator challenge.
While chatting to Alex and Roman about the upcoming Gladiators special, Barney spoke about the enduring appeal of the programme.
© Hungry Bear Media Ltd / Graeme Hunter / BBC“I think the great thing is that a lot of families, they were watching the original series as kids and now they’ve grown up and have had children of their own and are bringing them to the show,” he said, adding: “It’s just great, really awesome to see.”
The celebrity special is coming to BBC One and iPlayer on Wednesday 1 January at 6pm.
© James StackOn signing up for the show, comedian Rob shared his apprehension. “I can’t wait to be absolutely crushed by the Gladiators in front my wife and children in spandex whilst I watch Joel Dommett and his 6 pack sprint past me on the travelator,” he joked. “This is going to be a catastrophic humiliation in front of the nation. I’ve got no idea why I agreed to this. Is it too late to pull out?”
