Gladiators star Steel shares heartbreaking tribute to late son Leo following his funeral

9 May 2025, 13:46

• Gladiators star Steel paid tribute to his 'brave' boy, who died at just 13 days old
• Zack and his wife Samantha laid Leo to rest in a private funeral this week
• The ITV athlete is taking part in a charity challenge to mark his son's memory

Zack George, who stars as Steel in Gladiators, shared the devastating speech he read at his baby boy's funeral.

Gladiators star Steel has shared a heartbreaking tribute to his late son Leo following his devastating death at just 13 days old.

The TV athlete, 34, whose real name is Zack George, announced last month that his little boy had died less than two weeks after he and his wife Samantha welcomed him into the world.

Their tiny baby was born prematurely at 23 weeks, arriving on 26th March this year, but lost his fight due to complications and passed shortly after on 7th April.

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Now the grieving couple, who share a 23-month-old daughter called Ivy, have celebrated their second child's short life with a funeral service, prompting Zack to pour his emotions out online.

Taking to social media to share the speech he read at the emotional service to remember little Leo, he wrote: "The hardest speech Iv ever had to read 🥺.

"You came into this world early, tiny and brave, with a heart that beat like thunder. Thirteen days.


"That’s all we had. But in that time, you taught us more about love, and courage, than most ever will.

"Your body was small, but your spirit was big, fierce and unafraid. We called you Leo, our lion, not for how loud you roared, but for how hard you fought to stay.

"You knew our voices, you knew our touch, the warmth of our hearts pressed against yours. You were held, you were known and you were loved.

"And though the world only had a brief chance to meet you, you changed it and you changed us.

"Now that you rest, we still carry you—in every quiet moment, in the breath between tears, in the space you filled just by being here.


"Our son, our lion—you will always matter. You will always be ours.

"Rest easy our little boy 🦁."

The ITV star posted a string of moving photos from his son's funeral alongside the speech, sharing floral tributes and teddy bears gifted to the family to remember Leo.

The poignant post included a picture of his newborn's small white coffin, with both parents holding hands above it.

Zack also revealed personal messages from family and friends, with one from a heartbroken auntie and uncle, saying: "Our little lion Nephew Leo.

"We will love you always."

Following his son's passing, the Gladiator opened up about what his son had to face during his short time in hospital.

Taking to Instagram in the days after his death, he wrote: "What Leo had to endure during his 13 days fighting in NICU.

"Three blood transfusions, collapsed lung, a grade one and grade two bleed on his brain, a hole in his heart (PDA heart condition), a hole in his trachea causing air pockets in his lungs."

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A post shared by Zack George (@zackgeorge)

Zack has since announced he is taking on a charity challenge in memory of his late son, called '13 days fighting'.

He explained: "Bravery, strength, courage and resilience are just a few of the many qualities Leo showed us. This is why we are calling the charity event 13 days fighting.

"A burpee mile everyday for 13 days straight will be around 10,000 burpees. We're ready to show the same qualities our little boy showed us #Leothelion."

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