'Gladiators' Star Lize Van der Walt Dead at 60
Lize Van der Walt, best known for her role as Gold on the 1990s series Gladiators, has died at the age of 60.
"We're deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Gladiators' golden girl, Gold Lize Van der Walt," the show's official Instagram page announced on Monday, April 20.
Van der Walt made her mark on the UK series after joining in 1997.
"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," the announcement read.
After injuries sidelined her, Van der Walt moved back to her home country of South Africa, where she worked as an artist and psychosocial coach.
The trained athlete was diagnosed with cancer in 2013.
"Our thoughts are with her son Michael, her family, friends and all who knew and loved her," the announcement continued. "Thank you for the memories, Lize. You will always be part of Gladiators history."
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This story was originally published April 21, 2026 at 10:49 AM.