That Gaby Roslin Podcast: Reasons To Be Joyful - Phantom (from Gladiators) AKA Toby Olubi

Episode Date: April 30, 2024

Toby Olubi (AKA Phantom from Gladiators) joins Gaby for a chat about the things that bring himjoy. He talks about his time as an Olympian, the bobsleigh, set backs and getting the gig of a lifetime and becoming a Gladiator! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I love it. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah. It's that Gabby Rosslin podcast, Gabby Rosslin podcast. I love it. There's a gladiator in the studio we're recording with, and he got his headphones twisted. That was, you're not supposed to get anything like that. You're not supposed to find anything difficult because you're a gladiator. That is true. But they were. are really twisted when I sat down, just to say that. In my defence. That was part of that, that was it. It was like doing any of the things you have to do on Gladiators.

That was your, that was, this was a test. It was a test. It was like another game show. Yeah, you passed. Oh, wow. I'm good at game shows. We can get into that later on, but I am, I am good at game shows. Are you?

I've done a few. What game shows have you done? I've done four. Okay, go on, right. Come on, list them. Okay, so we start with the first one, the cube, which was a baptism of fire. Okay, the cube. through each one, but just name all four.

The Q was the first one. The second one was deal or no deal. Deal. I knew about deal or no deal. Yeah. The third one was a show called Can't Touch This, which was like one series. Yes, with Ashley. Yeah, with Ashley Banjo.

Oh, wow. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I saw Ashley again. A week after I saw you. Oh, my God. Yeah, yeah. I love Ashley. And it was with Zoe Ball as well.

He was the other presenter. And the fourth one was the big audition. Okay. Let's go backwards then. Big audition, what did you do? The big audition, I auditioned to be a fitness presenter. So I did that. And that was probably one of, deal or no deal was big.

But the big audition was huge. In terms of how it sort of gave my life a new trajectory, that was big. Okay. So that one, let's go to Can't Touch This. So again, you're hanging and dangling and doing all sorts of things. How did you do on that? I got shot out of a human catapult, which was interesting, akin to sort of my bobsay stuff, I guess. It was all right, but it's a game show, isn't it?

So as great as I was, and I've got some skills, but it came to the last why it was me versus another person, and he won. But it was more to do with, you didn't win a cash prize or anything, they were just like items you won. And one of it was a car, he did win a car, a car that I probably wouldn't have fit inside. So it's fine. I'll give that to him. That's all right then. Yeah, but it was a good show. The other three were huge sort of moments in my life. Okay, so let's talk about deal or no deal.

Yeah. That one was, this is a huge backstory. Okay, can I say this whole story? Yes, that's what you're here for. Okay, the huge, the story begins with the 2014 Olympic Games, 2014 Olympic Games that you were in. That I was literally on the plane to go to, and the way life happens is that... You were on the aeroplane?

I mean, so metaphorically speaking, if you gave a list in Christmas, who was going to be on the Olympic team, my name would have been high on that list. And then things happen, there's a little bit of politics, which I won't get into, but it's life. And there was an injury as well. And they end up not going to the 2014 Olympic Games. I come home and I am not in the best of spirits. I'm still young, so I'm still learning about life and how things work. You were devastated then.

Yeah, yeah. I mean, the funny thing is, it's life and I was 25 when it happened. It was the first sort of big disappointment I've ever faced in my life, whereas as you get older, you learn how to deal with it a bit more. Yeah, that's 25. That's massive. You thought you were going to the Olympics and then suddenly, uh-uh, you're not going. Yeah, yeah.

So it wasn't great. I can remember, like, just sort of paint the scene. I remember coming home from, so we had to drive back because we had to bring our sleds back. I remember coming home and it was like raining. And it was just like through the remote areas of Germany. And I'm looking out the window and you can sort of just imagine me just looking at the window

in despair as it rains. And the rains trickle down there. There were the car or the window. So had you done the Olympics then? No. The next one you did. Yeah. That's the next one.

So, yes, that was another four years of grind for me to get back and make sure that no stone was left unturned because it wasn't going to happen again. But then going back to... Yeah, sorry, let's go back again. Yeah, so I don't do those Olympic games. And then I'm in despair, and the big part of my life was helping out my family.

That was a big thing. And I'm sort of a beacon of the family. So I sort of try to lead by example. I'm the only... I've got three sisters. and a mum. My dad left when I was 13, so all on my shoulders to sort of bring the family up or whatever. That's a load. That is a load. I touch you that very quickly. It is a load. It's a load that I'm happy I had to carry because it built character and it built a certain

person, which I'm happy about, I'm proud about. So, yeah, but it is a load. And it's a load that obviously in the early days wasn't great. But it's built me, so no regrets. So yes, I come home. I have to break the news from my family and no one's really happy, but everyone's sort of like, oh, we're behind you, Toby. And then I have to think, what can I do in a quick time to turn this around? And that's when the cube comes into my head. So we go in this, this journey of... So hold on. You went, oh, I'm not going to the Olympics. I know I'll do the cube. Literally that. It was, what can I do to make this better? And the four... So you thought of the cube? The cube didn't come to you? No, no. I thought... This was the early days. No one came to me then. I was Mr.

nobody. No, no, no, no, you were a somebody. You were looking after your family and you weren't making the Olympics so you'll go on the queue. That was literally my thought process. That is insane. That was it. And so I'm a huge, I study. And so I studied the cube. And it was the early days of YouTube, but there was loads of videos out there you can study. And I studied it and I studied probably how to get on it, if that's even a way of thinking. But there's a method to every madness. And there was a method to it. And then I get on. on the cube, long story short. And the only thing that I would also throw into any degree of studying is experience.

And unfortunately, I didn't have experience with game shows. Well, nobody does, really. When you're done for you, you do. But initially I didn't. And I get on the game show and it doesn't go to plan. And it's TV. TV has all sorts of, you know, you know. I know.

I know. Like Pocono, Pinocchio strings. you, they dabble and they move things around and, um, yeah, long story short, I didn't do as well and I have to come home again and be like, um, was it looking at the rain in Germany again? It was literally that, it was literally that, but it was like twofold because it's like you failed again. Oh no. Did you really feel that you'd failed? Yeah, because of the pressure I put on myself. Um, again, it's back to that load that was put on my shoulders where I'm, literally the way my family works is, is they, like, it's sort of.

they follow me. So if I do stuff, then they're like, wow, look at Toby doing this. I can do this. That's, that's, okay, I'm going to, I'll use a different word than load. That's a massive responsibility. Yeah, it is. But again, like, it's, I think you have two choices with that responsibility. I have a crumble or prevail. And good thing is, I had tenacity. And then we went back to the drawing boards. And what's the next game show that we can get on? So that was deal or no deal next? So the next one was deal or no deal. And that was you again, just thinking, oh, what game show shall I do?

That was literally it. I don't think I've ever. Honestly, in all my years, I've never met anybody that said, right, I've not made the Olympics, so I'm going to go on a game show. Yeah. It was, again, about being that beacon, but also financial as well, because we weren't in a good position. And even as an individual, I wasn't, was in a great position as well.

And it was, yeah, what was the next thing I could do? And it was also a case of healing something that was, broken. There was two things broken. Olympics and game shows now had another one on me. And it was about coming back and winning on a game show. Then four years later, going to the Olympic Games. So those are the two sort of burdens on my back. And then, yeah, fast forward, we went on Dio and Nodo. And there was, again, a method to the madness. But we end up on the show. And I would be honest, that was probably one of the best environments, TV environments I've been in. We're touching gladiards. Gladys is also up.

there, but that was, yeah, but that was like a, a, you just got like 30 plus individuals who were full of hope. And as much as the TV world likes to, you know, dabble and, and mingle with people's emotions and stuff, there was a purity about it as well. Obviously, not everyone's going to win, but it was just the, the hopefulness of everyone. We stayed with each other for like three weeks. And yeah, and I studied that show. I studied it. And the biggest thing for me, you're tenacious. Um, yeah. I mean, as you get older, you get a bit tired. But at a time, I was full of spunk, and it was more about, like, it was beyond me. And that's one of the key things of life that I talk about is make everything that you do

beyond yourself, because then you get huge drive to persevere. So do you think that's from 13, you were like that? Because suddenly you had to make sure everybody was okay. I mean, what I'm intrigued about is this 13-year-old who had all these responsibility on his shoulders. I know we're laughing, but there's a hell of a responsibility. You know, money worries and family worries and keeping everybody okay. And then at 25, you think you failed because you didn't make the Olympics.

And then you didn't do the cube. And then, oh, no, I'll go to deal or no deal. And then you go and you're a GP, GB Olympian. Yeah, yeah. I mean, the pivotal moment was winning on deal or no deal. More than the Olympics. It was pivotal because I had two occasions. occasions of strikeouts. And so the third strikeout would have done, I don't know what it would

have done to me. So it was very pivotal and it was a turning point. And I can, and we go to the metaphor of the rain dripping down the window when I'm in Germany. When I actually won on deal or no deal. And it was, it was, at the time it was quite significant amount. It was not like drastic. No, it was a big amount of money. It was, it was a huge amount in terms of what I was able to do with it. But the moment when I won that money was that that that metaphoric sort of black cloud erased. And it's very true. Like I felt it go as soon as I won that money. And then we also had a moment when everyone's jumping on each other and happy and all that stuff. And it was so pivotal. And it was just pivotal with as I said, me being a beacon. And also me believing in hope and me

believing in life and being a good person and things working out to your favour when you were. Do you think they had any idea how enormous that moment was for you? Probably not. Do you think you realised how enormous it was now looking back? Looking back, yes. And even then, even then I did. Because it was, again, it was like just hope existed and it was more to do with, like, there's

a thing in sport called your confidence. Bank and you have to fill it in, fill it up as much as possible with evidence of you persevering or evidence of you like being able to do things and that gives you confidence to do other things. Shouldn't we all have that? We should but sometimes you're not aware of it. And for me it was the case of going against things multiple times where the odds aren't necessarily in my favour but I still persevere.

That helps me drastically with anything else I face. And then we went through four years of Bob Say, which is exactly that. Babsay is you going against Mother Nature and you going against your fears, you going against anxiety and persevering through. And all of those sort of things contributed to my confidence bank where now I can face literally anything. I can imagine. The Bobstaying thing, though, does my head.

I'd love to do it. I wouldn't really, but I'd love to. that in my head. I think, oh, that must be such fun. How do you think, how do you just this young lad just go, I know, I'll do bobslaying? Oh, okay. How on earth does that come about in your head? We have to again rewind back to being a summer of 24, 25 of years of age. And it was a case of, so I was a sprinter before hand. You were a sprinter, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And I was good. Were you Olympian though? No. So the way the Olympics were, work with sprinting as well and most other sports is you get you have to qualify for the national

trials every Olympic sort of season so I'd always qualify so I was good enough to qualify for the national trials but I'll be knocked out in the heats so like my my the probability of me going to a summer Olympic Games was was slim but I had talent and one of the big things about me is I was a big sprinter I could I was quite large yeah because you mean because of your height But also my ability to carry weight and be quick as well. Sorry, I'm now looking at you. Sorry, carry weight as a sprint. Oh, because you're a bigger lad.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. The ability to carry my own weight, sorry. I thought you were suddenly carrying. I thought, what was you doing? I used to handicap myself for carrying weight. Carrying a person, wow. Trying to be an Olympian sprinter. Yeah, so that was sort of the characteristics that sort of made me really good,

or those with characteristics that made me really good. really good at bubsay because bobsleigh you need more human weight than bobsleigh weight that makes sense because of physics so bobsay you're going downhill and you want there to be weight in the sled but it's advantageous for it to be body weight rather than you have to weigh up the sled because a weighed up sled is heavier to push so you want fast big heavy guys um okay and i got caught up to do a trial from my coach so my coach no someone reached out to my coach probably seen me in a race or something. And then my coach was like, hey, these are trials in Bath.

Go do your thing. So where do you go bobslaying in Bath? So Bath has a start track. So it won't be the whole track. It would just be the start ramp of a track. And the start is the most important part of a bobsay race because that's where you generate your speed. Speed and push.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Which is more important speed than push? Would you push speed or speed? speed push. They're the same thing. So at the beginning of a Bob Say race, you have about 50 metres to generate your speed.

And in that time, you are pushing a 220-k-y sled. And you want to be able to push it as fast as possible in every millisecond counts. I'm laughing, just thinking, there I was saying, I'd love to do bobsling. I'm actually taking, I'm going to take that back. I'd like to just sit on it

while everybody else does the hard way. Everyone thinks Bumse is like a roller coaster. Yeah. I guess you can get to levels where it can be more fun. The levels we were playing with, I wouldn't describe it as fun. So there's no fun involved? I would say there's fun when you get to the end and you realize all your bones are intact. Nothing drastic has happened.

And if you won or you've broken a record, then the jubilation is real just because of how bad it could have gone. So you're terrified as well? There's fear? I don't know how I would describe it. Yes, but then you learn how to deal with it. I mean, you learn what fear is. Fear is you just throw in worst-case scenarios in your head when equally, well not equally,

but it could go really well as well. And you have to sort of have some sort of navigation around fear where you're able to put things in front of you that probably are more worthwhile than you being afraid of something that hasn't happened yet. That's actually really good. That's actually a really good thing for us again. So we've got the confidence bank that we should all have,

whether we're a sports person or not. And then there's the say that thing about fear again. So fear is... Fair is you overthinking things that haven't happened yet, especially in a negative plane. But you can also switch it. You can think about positive things that can happen. So I can go to the top of a track

and I can be like, oh, we could crash, but then, oh, we're really good and we could win. So those are two thoughts that I can sort of play with and make sure I steer towards the positive one more. I'm still a human being. So there's still levels of my driver. I saw him playing FIFA the night before up until like 5 a.m.

I'm pretty sure he hasn't had enough sleep. And you still get through those like those thoughts. I don't know if he's going to be able to navigate a track. He hasn't been to ever before. But then you always try to switch it and be like, look, we've done all the training and bath. We're really good. And we've got like at a time when we were competing,

especially during those four years, we had the fastest guys in Britain on our sled. It was crazy. The talent pool we had was absolutely immense. Yeah, so we had the third fastest guy, Joe Furren, he was in our sled. We had James DeSaloo as well. He was the second fastest guy.

And obviously, Linford Christie is the first, but he wasn't doing any sport at that time. But we just had really talent in people. So, as I said, I could have focused on the fear of crashing or focused on the talent that we had. I love that you've focused on the pole. I mean, that's how I feel about life that we should always, you know, not look at the negative, just look at the positive.

You know, everybody uses glass half full. I'm saying, sled, making it, that's how I'm going now. I'm not a glass half full. So, okay, so you're sledging, you go to the Olympics. What was that experience like? Oh, the Olympics. So we have a four-year period where I've got immense tenacity to make it to be an Olympian. Because, again, it's the one thing that I failed at beforehand.

You've done deal or no deal. Yeah, I've done the game show stuff. Yeah, yeah, yes. I don't want it to sound like you always have to go back in time and, I don't know, try and, I don't know, heal. Like, it wasn't a wound or anything, but it was something that I just had to go back and make sure I did the second time round. And I had the scope to do it. So I was like, just make sure you do it. Because I always think about it in terms of I will only be upset with myself if I didn't give it my awe and I don't go.

If I gave it my o'er, I didn't go. I can't be upset with myself because there is nothing else I could have done. So we get to a point where it's four years of hard work because I never want to get to the end of those four years and tell myself you didn't give it your all. And I just wanted to make sure I gave it my awe and made sure no stone was left unturned.

And there was still, there's loads of politics in sport always. And not to say too much about right sport, but there was also politics which weren't in my favour at certain times in my sport but we get to a point again four years after the first try where the director calls me up

and he's like there is no way we couldn't put you on our Olympic team it's actually impossible because you always have criteria you have to meet before so there's always a selection document for the Olympic Games

and literally every single one of those criteria that was number one. Oh! Yeah and it was was just a case of tenacity. I was so headstrong on at least making the games just because it just had to happen. And it was again, as I said, it was beyond me. It was just because of what it represented. And so, yeah, I get the phone call and it was again, one of the most... Oh, okay, take me back to that moment. You get that phone call. You're in the Olympics.

That's just... It was, it was amazing. Where were you? I was in Austria. We just finished a training run and the director at the time was in England but he he called all of us up who were going and yeah internally it was it was great but it also you had to be sensitive with the people who weren't picked so there was no like jumping around and waving in other people's faces so you just had to sort of secretly ask each other did you get the phone call you'd see a smile on people's faces and then you know who was going yeah and your family what on earth did they say? Were they more thrilled about that or deal or no deal? Do you know what? Do you know what? I can, it's a good thing and no, it's a positive thing.

They love me. They don't care. There's no, there's no, there's no like degree of heightened love. If I did go or didn't go, they didn't like, it doesn't bother them. But I just, I know what it represents. So I put the pressure on myself, but they love me either way. They must be so proud. Yeah, and I mean I've had like big moments with my family Especially even like going into gladiators and stuff I've had loads of moments And I'm happy I'm able to sort of deliver that to them But yeah, they were just happy even way

But a good thing about it was My little sister got to come out to see me In South Korea And she's the only one who's ever seen me do Bob's saying And it was she had a conversation with my mom And my mom couldn't come And she was like one of her has to go And it was a huge

huge surprise, because I didn't know she was going to come. You didn't know she was coming? No, I didn't know she was coming and she came and that was a big moment for me. The Olympic Games itself didn't go to plan. But I, again, I take what life has to offer because even from that, other things happened and it all makes sense backwards. But the Olympic Games didn't go to plan. We came there as one of the favourites and we didn't deliver as to the standard we should

have. Again, loads of things in play. But that's okay. You were in the Olympics. Yeah, and you do. I mean, obviously, the athlete in me took a, took a while to get over, like, the disappointment of not achieving what we think we should have, but then you also have to rationalise it a bit because there's only one gold medal

and there's, like, 30 plus teams. Yeah, but also, I'm sorry, I'm going to say it again, you were in the Olympics. Yeah, yeah, and there was so much. It's amazing. Yeah, there was so much that in retrospect, you look back on and you're like, like the opening ceremony and all those sort of specials, occasions. When you are there, you don't feel it as much. I would say that. Just because you've still

got something to do and you still sort of hell-bent on making sure that you achieve what you came there to do. But in retrospect, you look back and if you've got pictures or videos, you can look back with fun memories of everything. And South Korea doesn't do things half-heartedly. They go big. Yeah, it was a great occasion. But then my life had more chapters to come as well. Of course it has. Okay. So post-a-lil, the thing is, And I know I keep saying it, but the thing is, you'll always be able to turn round and say, you know, it's there. It's the top line. You are an Olympian.

You were an Olympian. And then what happens next? Because there's stuff between being an Olympian and a gladiator. We're going to obviously come to being phantom. But the new chapters in your life that happen then, how did all of those things roll out post-Olympics? There's a continuing theme here. So we come back from the Olympic Games and we're disappointed. What does Toby do when he's disappointed?

I know. Game show. Yes. So we went on another game show. At this point, it was the case of, okay, you came back from Olympic Games. And unfortunately, we didn't do well enough to continue funding for the sport. So the sport, G.B. Bob, say, lost all funding after the Olympics, which is how it sort of works. Oh, no. Yeah.

So you, like, you always have these targets going into Olympic games. And unfortunately, if you don't reach them, then UK sport will be like, well, we're not going to give you the money. Yeah, yeah. And, yeah, and just to put in perspective how much Bob say cost in an Olympic sort of period, it was four million. You're kidding me. Yeah. So it was four million that we, as a governing buddy, we then turned to a self-funding sport. And then I get home and then I'm trying to do the maths and trying to figure out what I'm going to do.

And then we get, what would I call it, brain spark to do another game show. And that one is the big audition. And again, there's a huge backstory with that one as well. I don't know how much I'm allowed to say. But with the process of that is similar to D.O.N. No. Do in the Cube? apart from I'm a game show veteran now and so I know what I'm doing and we win that show

but then also it was it was a case that it was it was a fitness presenting show and so or fitness presenting audition I'm I paid my dues as a fitness person yeah yeah yeah so I mean there wasn't really much in terms of like it was just about showing what I'm able to do basically and showing my degree of being able to present and winning the audition in that way.

And yes, I win that show and that provides me another avenue to go with all along. And that was to be a presenter on a shopping channel as a fitness presenter. And I learned so much and did that for five years. I learned so much and it gave me also the ability to be able to train still and still have some sort of employment. And one of the things that helps me, even now and glad it, is the fact that I've had so many hours banked in front of a TV screen or front of a TV camera, sorry, where you learn a lot.

I don't know how much people know about shopping channel presenting, but it's live TV. And you have to keep going no matter what. Yeah, and things happen, and you just have to keep going. You have to be aware of all your cameras and all the camera positions, and we had a thing called Talk Back, which was someone talking in your ear consistently. You have to deliver on camera. And the audience don't see or hear the person talking,

but you have to be able to take in what they're saying. And keep talking. And it's all of those things that came in handy, especially when it comes to being able to present yourself when you're on the biggest show in the UK, which is going to be gladiators. Let's go to Gladiators now. So, Phantom, did they give you the name, or did you choose the name? or did you choose the name?

It was a collaboration. So I was given options and Phantom was one of them. And there was two things that happened. I had the name Phantom and I had to brainstorm what I could do with that name. And the other names,

I didn't feel like I can do a lot with them. Whereas Phantom came with like... It's a good name. I feel like it comes of a lot. And I'll touch on like all the stuff it came with. And then I remember coming into the office one day and the guy at the front desk just called me Phantom. And I was just like, well, I guess it's Phantom.

But then, yeah, as I said, I was able to play with it a lot. Because with the name Phantom, you've got this mysterious sort of elusive character. And it was a character that no other gladiator sort of delved into of the current gladiators. And also, it was a character which gave me the ability to add an additional element to my outfit, which was a hood. which it didn't come with before. Was that your choice? It was my choice. It was my choice to add the hood.

And I have to always give a shout out to the costume designers because they were so great. I literally went in like Hot Potato like Catch. This is my idea. There's not a lot of costume. Let's be honest. No, no, no. There's not a lot.

There isn't. And it was even less initially with me. But I gave them the sort of, yeah, a task of trying to add a hood. And they went to town with doing that. And I think I'll say the whole story here as well. I wasn't a gladiator to begin with. What were you? I was the one reserve.

No! Yeah, yeah. So there was a degree of, I don't know how to put it, but firstly, the costume designers, there was no push for them to do anything for me. They could have just went, oh, you're a reserve. So why are we doing this for you?

They could have just did that, but they literally did their best to sort of make sure that I was still a character and make sure that I was still like a part of the puzzle. And I won't say too much about the story, but long story short, we get to a point where, and I love all the production team, and I love everyone who even the crew, everyone who was part of the whole bubble we created because we get to a point where everyone's screaming my name and everyone's saying, there's no way we can do this show without, without Phantom. And, and that was, that was, that was, that was really, like, there was, there was loads of tears. You love being Phantom though, don't you? Yes, I do love being Phantom. And I like being Phantom.

There's a butt. No, because, so Phantom is a, so I spoke about my whole, sort of, I'm giving bits about my life story. There's a lot more, but I give me like the bones of it all, where I've had a, a life where it hasn't been easy but with the uneasy elements

you develop character and so Phantom comes with this sort of demeanour where he doesn't want to make it easy for the contenders but at the back of his head he knows that if they're able to overcome this being in front

of them which is double their size and where again the odds aren't in their favour we go back to the confidence bank they've got a lot to take home where they have faced something that is supposed to beat them and they just didn't back down. And so there is an element of me which isn't so, I'm just not Mr. Always Smiley to begin with.

But then we get to a point afterwards where I can break bread with them and I'm like, well done, because I saw you give it your awe where I wasn't making it easy for you. Do you know what, that's very interesting because that's the character that you've created from Toby's life. Yeah, yeah. But also, the kids are all your every child's favourite. So my cousin's twin boys, there's no two ways about it.

You're all their favourite. And that's interesting that it's not all just smiles and, hey, hey, it's that they can see little kids, the positivity that you give out, in fact, all of you, it's a really positive show. And I'm so delighted it's doing well. And I'm delighted it's coming back again. That's all public, no, everybody knows now. But the positivity that you give up.

And when you and I've spoken before, you know, one of the things I find fascinating is that it's taking young kids who didn't have hope, didn't have ambition, suddenly taking them off the streets and they're thinking, okay, we now, you're their role models, you're really important role models. Yeah, and I'd like to think that we all take that to heart as a responsibility because even for us, especially again, like we're talking about, take myself, for instance, where my dad lived when I was 13. So I was seeking out role models externally. And so to be able to play that.

And sometimes there's little degrees that you can add to someone's life. And it doesn't have to be like the whole sort of full package role model. But it can be a role model in fitness or a role model in, oh, I saw Phantom, I don't know, in Jewel and he was really good. And I want to be really good at something. It's just those little things, those little snippets. And even for me, I remember seeing like little things that I saw growing up. where it made me go outside and start running or go or do this and do that.

You can just remember little moments and that's what we want to sort of give. And it's also about bringing people back to family's Saturday night time. Exactly. Bringing everybody together. I think it's, and I think you are just, I wonder, I really do. I think you'll, I love the positivity you give out and that you share your story. And, you know, you admit the stuff that you've gone through and the tenacity and confidence bank, I'm never going to forget that.

But also that now you're using it all in the right way, are you? Yeah, and it's, again, that platform is amazing. But then you have to, I don't know about, like, I paid my dues. And it's not to say that I'm Mr. Gladiator now, all hell phantom. It's more to do with I've got something to tell and I've got a story to tell. That's what I mean. Yeah, and that's, yeah. And I love being able to do that just from a point of, again, like extending part.

ask myself, like being some sort of positive echo where, like, I've gotten through all of this and now I can sort of offer it to other people. Everybody needs more phantomint than their lives. They really do. That's a good compliment. No, I really do mean it. Also, we met at the Teenage Cancer Trust and I know you wanted to talk about that because now you feel that you can do all of these things and you can raise the, I can't think of

the word what I'm thinking of. But, you know, you want to be able to tell everybody all about these charities. And teenage cancer is one that you said you wanted to talk about. That's where we first met. Yeah, I mean, it's again the same sort of narrative. So we were at the concert and you saw all these stories, you saw all these individuals. And as much as my story has been arduous,

I think this is another level. And it is about, so for me, my role in all of that is, again, to try and be some sort of beacon where, I can sort of try and offer like words or images or statements of encouragement where hopefully that can transcend to helping certain people, but also we can try and to try and galvanise some sort of attention to these individuals who are fighting the biggest fights of anyone's life really. And that's, yeah, that's why I took very kindly to that charity and I hope to do a lot more in the future.

They do an amazing job. The word I was trying to say was raise the profile of teenage cancer trust. So thank you for that. Thank you very much for being on this. You are a joy. Like I said, be more phantom. I think that should be a hashtag. Be more phantom.

We need to create that t-shirt or hoodie. Maybe you do a hoodie with that. What colour? I'm indifferent anyone. I don't mind. Bright orange. Bright orange is a good. With a blue and it says be more,

be more phantom in the electric blue of of the gladiator outfit. Is orange your favorite color? I like orange. Yeah, I think I bought so. Yeah. Yeah. I like bright color.

Yeah. You fit that. Oh, thank you. Thank you very much. And yeah, as I said, like, I just want to keep on inspiring others and do my best to do so. Am I allowed to plug anything here? You can.

Do you. So I've got a fitness app coming up. Go, go for it. Where we offer online fitness coaching. And that's very big for me. And it is literally from a space of, I know a lot. Let me try and use this platform. window of opportunity that I have to try and give it to as many people as

possible. What's it called? Toby Alubi Fitness. And when is it coming out? Today. Today's a launch date. So it's me and I've got a team of individuals working as well. But it's all about just making sure I'm able to offer what I know because I do see a lot of this misinformation out there. And again, I've gone through. You've done the homework. Yes. Yeah. Physically and mentally. Yeah. And to a high level. So I can I can offer a lot. And we've got this opportunity and platform to do it so I thought this is a time so how exciting yeah right that is it I'm gonna be more phantom and and also your app yeah there we go fabulous thank you so much Toby thank you for having me gabby thank you for having me gabby