Doncaster Gladiators star who was engaged to Katie Price to become vicar

Warren Furman starred as Ace in the 1990s run of the hit ITV show which has now been revived for a new series on BBC One.

At the height of his fame in 1997, Ace was engaged to model Katie, who then went by the name Jordan, after proposing with a £3,000 ring – but admitted the relationship wasn't always rosy.

In a 2019 interview on This Morning, he said: “We were both deriving our identities from being relevant in the media. We were both selling stories.”

He once said he was in ‘a club of people who had had a lucky escape by not marrying Katie” and he’s now training to become a vicar and plans to be ordained as a Church of England cleric.

He told The Sun in a recent interview: ‘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.”

Katie, 45, is now mum to Harvey, 21, Junior, 18, Princess, 16, Jett, ten, and Bunny, nine, and is recently single after her split from Carl Woods, while Warren, 51, has children Bailey, 20, and Anna, 18, with wife Dionne.

‘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,’ he added.

Warren, who found the church in 2015, added: ‘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”.’

He continued: ‘Her parents came back and said, “We really enjoyed having you around”. It was quite heart-warming.’

After starring as a Gladiator from 1996 to 2000, he returned back to his Yorkshire roots, going on what he describes as “a spiritual search.”

He studied eastern religions but became interested in Christianity after meeting businessman and philanthropist Julian Richer, the founder of Richer Sounds, who suggested he should go on an Alpha course to explore the Christian faith.

Warren decided to attend one at St Michael Le Belfrey Church, near York Minster, and it eventually led to him becoming a Christian.

On finding his faith, he said: “It was incredible. Before I was always trying to prove myself.

“I had a good life, but I was in a rat race.”

Now he describes himself as a “gladiator for the gospel”.

This summer he will be ordained as a Church of England Cleric at St Paul’s Cathedral, along with his wife Dionne.

The rebooted show, presented by father and son duo Bradley and Barney Walsh, returned to screens last weekend, with Doncaster’s own Finley Burkitt the first member of the public taking on the Gladiators at a series of gruelling and bruising games.