Gladiators star Steel revealed the heartbreaking news that his baby son Leo had died on Tuesday – after sharing that he was born prematurely at just 23 weeks.

Zack George shared with his fans on Saturday that his baby boy was born prematurely and was ‘tiny, fragile, and fighting’.

The Gladiators icon, 34, better known as Steel to fans of the hit BBC show, took to Instagram to share the news that his wife, Samantha, had gone into premature labour last month.

And on Tuesday Zack announced the tragic news of his son’s death, writing on Instagram: ‘Your mummy brought you into this world and your daddy held you as you left. Leo…… you showed us what the true definition of strength is and we are so proud of you.

‘You brought so much positivity to the world with the short time you were with us and we felt that positivity in abundance, we thank you all so much for that.’

Zack continued: ‘Although you were only with us for a short time, you brought us a lifetime of love. Thank you for letting us know that YOU had had enough of this fight. We will forever be grateful that we didn’t have to make that decision for you.

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Gladiators star Steel revealed the heartbreaking news that his baby son Leo had died on Tuesday – after sharing that he was born prematurely at just 23 weeks

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On Tuesday Zack announced the tragic news of his death writing on Instagram : ‘Your mummy brought you into this world and your daddy held you as you left…’

‘Leo our lion, we love you more than you will ever know. Rest easy our little boy.’

The pair were sent supportive messages under the post as fellow Gladiator Joey Fishburn wrote: ‘Can’t imagine your heartache, wishing you and your family nothing but love and peace throughout this time!’

Montell Douglas added: ‘RIP baby Leo. Thoughts and prayers and with both of you.’

In a previous post updating fans on Sunday afternoon, Samantha shared a sweet snap of Leo’s tiny hand resting on her finger – which Zack then reshared on his account.

She penned in the caption: ‘Thank you everyone for your kind words and premature baby stories.

‘Please keep them coming… they are giving us so much hope for our precious Leo.’

In their announcement on Saturday they said: ‘Our Precious Boy Leo George ♥️

‘You should still be tucked up inside mummy’s tummy but instead you entered the world on the 26th March 2025 at just 23 weeks weighing 1 pound 8 ounces.’

‘You never truly know how quickly your life can be turned upside down but one thing we do know is that you are one hell of a strong boy and you are already defying the odds.

He concluded the post with: ‘Tiny, fragile and fighting #Family #Leo #WeLoveYou.’

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The pair were sent supportive messages under the post

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He also posted a sweet message on his Story which read: ‘We will see you again baby boy’

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Zack George shared with his fans on Saturday that his baby boy was born prematurely and is ‘tiny, fragile, and fighting’

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In a previous post updating fans on Sunday afternoon, Samantha shared a sweet snap of Leo’s tiny hand resting on her finger – which Zack then reshared on his account

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In their announcement on Saturday they said: ‘You should still be tucked up inside mummy’s tummy but instead you entered the world on the 26th March 2025 at just 23 weeks weighing 1 pound 8 ounces’

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In January, Zack announced that he and Samantha were expecting their second child, sharing a sweet Instagram post alongside their 23-month-old daughter, Ivy

Fans and fellow Gladiators rushed to the comments to offer their support with former Strictly star Montell Douglas AKA Fire writing: ‘bubba Leo with the strongest genes I know! You got this baby boy❤️.’

Meanwhile, Diamond’s Livi Sheldon added: ‘Sending all the love and hugs to you all ❤️❤️❤️.’

In January, Zack announced that he and Samantha were expecting their second child.

The bodybuilder took to Instagram with a sweet post alongside daughter Ivy, 23-months.

The little one beamed as she held up the ultrasound scan with Zack gushing that the tot was ‘very excited’ to be a big sister.

He penned: ‘Ivy is very excited to have a new friend very soon, Little George number 2 in the making’.

Fans and fellow Gladiators rushed to the comments to offer their congratulations with Montell AKA Fire writing: ‘Awww my faves just got bigger congratulations guys’.

While Giant, Jamie Christian, added: ‘Ah man this is amazing news congrats guys’ and Bionic, Jamie Campbell, said: ‘Congratulations’.

Samantha, who wed the hunk in September 2024, is also a bodybuilder and often takes to Instagram to share snaps of her ripped physique and workouts.

Zack previously shared how he had undergone a fitness transformation after admitting he led an ‘unhealthy lifestyle’ in his youth.

He was overweight as a child and told The Sun: ‘I practically inhaled chocolate and ate McDonald’s and KFC — a family bucket — five times a week. The more fast food I ate, the more I craved it. It was a vicious cycle.

‘Being overweight makes you feel rubbish. You can’t walk or run far so you don’t want to exercise and you often end up finding comfort in fast food.’

Yet Zack was soon inspired to make healthy changes in his life and after catching the exercise bug he soon became a devotee of CrossFit, a fitness regimen focused on performing functional movements performed at a high intensity.

He now trains four hours a day, six days per week, with the results visible in his ripped physique.

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Samantha, who wed the hunk in September 2024, is also a bodybuilder and often takes to Instagram to share snaps of her ripped physique and workouts