[JAS84]

It also changed from Sept-Oct (which means 5 of the 7 episodes aired on the same day as Gladiators itself) to Jan-March. That second series must've been taped in a hurry, as it aired only three months after the first one finished and they used the Gladiators on rotation as hosts (series one was hosted by Sharron "Amazon" Davies and Daley Thompson) - presumably they couldn't have Davies hosting every week any more as the Gladiators were now involved in the events and so she'd have been needed as Amazon. That revised format lasted three years, though they did get proper hosts in again for series 3 and 4.
en.wikipedia.org