Katie Price’s Gladiator ex admits he was ‘horrible’ to her but has since ‘found God’

Gladiators icon Warren Furman has confessed that he was “horrible” to ex-girlfriend Katie Price. The pair were previously engaged for two years in 1997 when she was still going by her model name, Jordan.

Speaking in an interview with The Sun, Warren has opened up about his fiery relationship with Katie and admitted that he now has “great admiration for her.” The duo split up when Katie was accused of having an affair with Formula 1 driver Ralf Schumacher.

He recalled: “It was selfish. It’s not the way I think now. I have great admiration for her. I know how difficult it is being a parent. If I see a picture of her in the papers and magazines, I pray that she would know God as I do and realise that her identity doesn’t have to be in altering her body or having operations. God loves who she is.”

Warren shared that he and Katie would sell stories about each other. He added: “At the time we were playing games and selling stories about each other. Recently I sent a message to her parents to say: ‘I just want you to know I am sorry for my part in it. I hope you will forgive me.’”

Gladiators first aired on ITV in 1992 and was so successful that it ran until 2000. Warren applied as a young 24-year-old who was jobless and thought the show would be the “stepping stone into Hollywood.”

When Gladiators was axed in 2000, Warren revealed that his identity which had become Ace came “crashing down like a house of cards”. He later moved from London to York where he met his now-wife Dionne, who was an air hostess with Virgin Atlantic.

The pair now have two children – Bailey and Anna. In 2015 he felt like something was missing from his life, which led him to turn to the Church of England and set up a charity, Ace Active.

In lockdown Warren decided to train as a vicar. He is set to be ordained later this year along with his wife and is leading a much more peaceful life, saying: “I’m now fighting the good fight and I’ve become a Gladiator for God.”

Gladiators is now getting a reboot and is set to air on January 13 on BBC One. The 11-part series will be hosted by The Chase icon Bradley Walsh and his son, Barney.

Speaking about the show’s revival, Warren said to The Sun: “It’s great news. As a nation we need a wholesome family show again. Everyone spends so much time on their phones and computers in different rooms, so I am all for a show coming back where families can come together.”