Matt Morsia reveals 'awkward' moment with starstruck police officer
Matt Morsia has recalled an "awkward" moment in France when a police officer spotted him.
A police officer paused an arrest to take a photo with Matt Morsia.
A suspect was left waiting in handcuffs as the French cop took a moment to meet the star, who is best known as Legend in BBC's Gladiators, and for his viral fitness YouTube content.
Matt, 40, recalled in the new issue of Heat magazine: "I was in France this January, and we got out of the car and walked around the corner and saw a guy getting arrested - he was literally having handcuffs put on him by these three French policemen.
"And as we walked past them, the officer cuffing the guy clocked me. He stopped, and the other police officer got his phone out, and they took a picture with me.
"The guy in handcuffs was just stood there. It was the most awkward, surreal experience.
"I've had mad ones, but that was top tier - police officer, mid-arrest, stopped to take a photo with me. Pretty wild."
Matt - who has sons Luca, nine, and Mauro, five, with his wife Sarah - said parents at his children's school are polite about his fame, but some can become too much after a few drinks.
He shared: "My boys go to a little village school, and all the parents are very nice and respectful.
"But we went to a parents-only night at the school recently, and everyone was drinking. People's inhibitions had dropped towards the end of the night, and I was getting some mad requests and questions."
And some of the dads want to compete with the bodybuilder in a challenge.
Matt said: "I've also had some of the dads try to race me at sports day a few times, but it's manageable - I can handle it."
The ex-Physical Education (PE) teacher found fame on YouTube in the late 2010s, with a popularity boost coming in 2020 with the release of his Sunday Times best-selling book, The 24/7 Body, and in 2024 as his self-obsessed and arrogant alter ego, Legend, on Gladiators.
Matt's kids are "massive" Gladiator fans, and they "both love" seeing him on the programme.
Sarah is equally as proud of Matt's achievements, and he declared her "the most amazing, supportive wife".
