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Bradley and Barney Walsh on The One Show© BBC

Bradley Walsh's son Barney sparks reaction with pair's latest joint TV appearance

Viewers all made the same comment about the 27-year-old actor

Nicky Morris
TV and film writer
December 20, 2024
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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. 

Barney Walsh on The One Show© BBC
Fans commented on the similarity between Barney and Roman

While 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?"

Alex Jones and Roman Kemp on The One Show© BBC
Alex Jones and Roman Kemp co-host The One Show

A 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."

Barney Walsh making a 'bunny' finger gesture behind Bradley Walsh© NurPhoto via Getty Images
The father-son duo are popular among fans

Other 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."

WATCH: Bradley and Barney also co-present Breaking Dad - are you a fan?

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. 

Gladiators Celebrity Special: Rob Beckett, Ellie Taylor, Bradley Walsh, Barney Walsh, Louise Minchin, Joel Dommett© Hungry Bear Media Ltd / Graeme Hunter / BBC
Rob Beckett, Ellie Taylor, Louise Minchin and Joel Dommett will appear on the Gladiators Celebrity Special

"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.

Gladiators: Bradley Walsh, Barney Walsh© James Stack
Bradley and Barney are the co-hosts of Gladiators

On 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?"

The One Show airs weeknights on BBC One at 7pm. 

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