A HORWICH home with its own boxing ring and a pole dancing stage has become an unlikely television hit.

The property featured on the ITV game show Guess This House, where two couples are pitted against each other to guess the value of the house and all of its contents.

The home — which also boasts sword worth £15,000 from the hit film Gladiator — is owned former professional heavyweight boxer Alex Penarski and was one of three to be featured on the show.

The closer the contestants get to the true valuation, the more time they have to assess values at a final fourth house, where they compete for a cash prize.

Presenter Saira Khan, a former finalist from The Apprentice, described the house as an "imperial feast for the eyes", as it features a range of Roman influenced items.

Among the items on show were a bust of Julius Caesar, Roman armoury, a helmet and stuffed lions.

There was also a boxing studio in the garage, a sauna, and an additional building in the garden with separate living quarters featuring the pole dancing stage.

One of the contestants described the house as "one of the most bizarre properties I have been into".

Both teams underestimated both the value of the house and the value of its contents, with the house being worth £350,000 and the items worth £52,600.

Mr Penarski said he came to own the sword after meeting Russell Crowe when he was in Manchester for the Mike Tyson and Julius Francis fight in 2000.

He said: "I met him when he came over for the Tyson fight, and he was a really nice guy.

"I was working at the fight and helping to look after Mike Tyson while he was over here, and he gave me the sword later.

"I didn't see the show when it first came on because I was away in America, but I've seen it since and I thought it was good."

Since retiring from boxing Mr Penarski has taken up his interest in Ancient Rome, which inspired his collection of Roman themed items.

He has also made a documentary about Roman Manchester.

He said: "I have been interested in the Romans since I was a kid — the a number of things they did which we still rely on today is amazing."

The episode is still available to watch at http://bit.ly/1PKcdBB