The story of how a 1990s Gladiator swapped his pugil stick for the pulpit has been told to churchgoers in a village near Woking.

Warren Furman – known to millions as Ace from the original hit 1990s show – joined the congregations of St Michael’s, Pirbright and St Mark’s, Wyke, to share his journey with a different kind of worshipper.

Furman, who was ordained last year at St Paul’s Cathedral, recently joined the monthly ‘Church on the Green’ service on Pirbright Green.

In a Q&A with parish vicar Rev’d George Watkinson, he spoke about his rags-to-riches journey from being unemployed and living in a hostel to becoming a household name overnight.

But despite the fame and money, he said celebrity culture left him feeling empty. He struggled with the transition to normal life once the BBC show was cancelled and his “identity came crashing down”.

The audience heard he became a committed Christian after attending an Alpha course in his early 40s.

He said: “All my life I had been chasing power and trying to build my own empire and finally I accepted that God has a plan for my life”.

That plan led him into ordained ministry 10 years later and he currently preaches at a large church in Kensington.

He’s also a regular visitor to schools while the Ace in the Park was a big draw for the Pirbright community who packed out Lord Pirbright’s Hall to hear him speak, and children took part in Gladiator-style duels, using inflatable pugil sticks.

Rev’d George Watkinson said: “It was fantastic to have Warren with us and to hear his story of transformation, and it was a pleasure to have so many families come along to listen.”

Church on the Green takes place every fourth Sunday of the month at 10am at Lord Pirbright’s Hall, Pirbright Green.