Lize van der Walt shot to fame after appearing on the Gladiators TV series in 1997 and has now sadly passed away
A Gladiators star has sadly died at the age of 60 after battling cancer. Lize van der Walt, known as Gold on the popular British TV series, shot to fame when she joined the line-up in 1997.
Lize, originally from South Africa, was a “talented athlete” before she joined Gladiators where she earned the nickname Gold and established herself as a standout personality on the show.
On social media pages for Gladiators, it was announced today (Tuesday) that she had died last week on April 19, reports The Mirror. Tributes have since been pouring in for the “golden girl” of the show in the wake of the sad news.
An emotional statement from a Gladiators spokesperson read: “We’re deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Gladiators’ golden girl, Gold.
“Originally from South Africa, Lize was a talented athlete long before Gladiators, excelling in the 400m and relay.
“Lize joined the UK Gladiators in 1997, bringing strength, spirit and determination to the Arena.
“Chosen from thousands of applicants to become one of the show’s new Gladiators, she quickly made her mark. Although injury limited her appearances, she showed incredible resilience and when she did compete, she proved that all that glistens truly was Gold.”
It continued: “Our thoughts are with her son Michael, her family, friends and all who knew and loved her.
“Thank you for the memories, Lize.
“You will always be part of Gladiators history.”

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