Gladiators (2024 British TV series)

For the 2024 Australian TV series, see Gladiators (2024 Australian TV series).

Gladiators
Genre	Game show
Created by	Dan Carr John Ferraro
Presented by	Bradley Walsh Barney Walsh
Starring	Mark Clattenburg Sonia Mkoloma Lee Phillips Gladiators
Voices of	Guy Mowbray
Country of origin	United Kingdom
Original language	English
No. of series	1
No. of episodes	11
Production
Executive producers	Dan Baldwin Lou Brown Dom Bird
Producers	Reshmi Bajnath James Pratt
Production location	Sheffield Arena
Running time	60 minutes
Production companies	Hungry Bear Media MGM Alternative UK
Original release
Network	BBC One
Release	13 January 2024 (2024-01-13) – present
Related
Gladiators (1992–2000) Gladiators (2008–2009)

Gladiators is a British television series which began airing on BBC One and BBC iPlayer on 13 January 2024. It is the second revival of the original 1992 Gladiators series on ITV, after the 2008 series on Sky One. The series is produced by Hungry Bear Media and MGM Alternative UK.

The series is presented by Bradley Walsh and his son, Barney. Each episode consists of four players, known as 'contenders' – two male and two female – competing in a series of physically challenging events against the show's resident 'Gladiators', a group of elite athletes – like bodybuilders or track and field athletes – and eventually competing in one final event, the Eliminator. The series consists of the heats, the quarter-finals, the semi-finals and a grand final, to determine the overall champions. It is refereed by Mark Clattenburg, assisted by Sonia Mkoloma and Lee Phillips, with voice-over commentary provided by Guy Mowbray.

Upon its release, the revived series of Gladiators has become one of the most successful family entertainment launches for the BBC in 7 years, attraching over 6 million viewers during its premiere episode, and scoring nearly 9 million during the whole first series.

Production

Background and development

The original LWT series of Gladiators aired between 1992 and 2000 on ITV and its first revival aired on Sky One in 2008 and 2009. In July 2022, it was reported that the BBC were in talks with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, who hold the rights to the original format, to relaunch the show on BBC One. The BBC later announced that the revival, produced by Hungry Bear Media and MGM Television, would air in 2023.

The casting for the new contenders took place across England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland in April 2023. The following month it was announced that Bradley Walsh would co-host the revived series alongside his son Barney. Donna Walsh, Barney's mother and Bradley's wife, was head choreographer for the "G Force" troupe of cheerleaders on the 1992 series. Bradley also has previous connections to the show, having taken part in a "Celebrities vs Jockeys" special episode of the programme in 1997.

Filming and release

Filming of the programme took place at the Sheffield Arena, in the city of Steel, which previously hosted the 1995 live shows for the original ITV series, in June 2023. Tickets to attend filming of the series were free. Applause Store, the company who oversaw ticket distribution, stated that there was an "unprecedented demand" for tickets and the venue reached its 3,000 capacity earlier than anticipated, which led to ticketholders being denied entry. In a statement, Applause Store said that entrance would be on a "first-come first-served" basis dependent on capacity, and that there was no guarantee of admission to the venue.

Two Gladiators sustained injuries during filming. Comet (Ella-Mae Rayner) broke her ankle and foot, and Sabre (Sheli McCoy) tore her hamstring.

Gladiators Giant (Jamie Christian-Johal), Nitro (Harry Aikines-Aryeetey), Fury (Jodie Ounsley), and Fire (Montell Douglas) made an appearance during the Strictly Come Dancing finale in mid-December 2023, where Fire stated that the programme would premiere in early 2024.

The first official trailer of the show was released on 25 December 2023, showing both new and classic events. On 3 January 2024, the BBC announced that the series would premiere on 13 January at 5.50 pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. The revival of Gladiators attracted an audience of 6 million viewers, becoming the biggest entertainment launch for the BBC in seven years. Due to the ratings success, the BBC bosses have announced that they have been already planning for the next series, which is set to be filmed in summer 2024 at the Sheffield Arena, and airing in early 2025. According to a BBC boss, there will be some adjustments to the flow of the game, and some new events for the second series, but all of the Gladiators from the first series are set to return.

Format

Further information: Gladiators (1992 British TV series) § Format

The format of Gladiators follows that of the previous series, where two men and two women compete against the Gladiators before taking on each other on the Eliminator obstacle course. The series follows a knock-out tournament format of preliminary heats leading to finals.

Events

Main article: List of Gladiators UK events

During an appearance on BBC Breakfast in May 2023, Gladiators Nitro (Harry Aikines-Aryeetey) and Diamond (Livi Sheldon) stated that the series would feature old games including Hang Tough, The Wall, Powerball, and Duel. During an appearance on This Morning the same month, Giant (Jamie Christian-Johal), Legend (Matt Morsia), and Fire (Montell Douglas), confirmed about the return of the event Gauntlet.

New events in the first rebooted series include Collision (in which contenders try to cross a bridge while avoiding the Gladiators who swing across on trapezes), The Edge (in which contenders and Gladiators undertake a cat and mouse chase on an elevated grid), and The Ring (in which contenders try to hit a sensor in the centre of a large court without being tackled by a Gladiator).

The second series, airing in 2025, will see some more returning events from both the 90s and "noughties" shows, and possibly totally new events.

Cast and crew

Presenters

The revamped series of Gladiators is being hosted by father-son duo Bradley and Barney Walsh (known as Bradley & Barney).

Gladiators

The show's resident Gladiators are a group of elite athletes from the different fields of athletics; from bodybuilders to CrossFit athletes and Olympic Games champions. Throughout May 2023, the 16-strong roster of Gladiators were announced on Morning Live and The One Show, among other media outlets. Profiles were also released on the BBC Media Centre website.

Male Gladiators

Alias	Real name	Series	Stats	Background	Entry theme
Apollo	Alexander Gray	1–	6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)	Former Rugby union and NFL player	"Are You Gonna Go My Way" – Lenny Kravitz
Bionic	Matty Campbell	1–	6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)	Bodybuilder, former sprinter and footballer	"Galvanize" – The Chemical Brothers
Giant	Jamie Christian-Johal	1–	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	Professional bodybuilder and former firefighter	"Giant" – Calvin Harris and Rag'n'Bone Man
Legend	Matt Morsia	1–	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)	Bodybuilder, powerlifter, and former PE teacher, long and triple jumper	"The Best" – Tina Turner
Nitro	Harry Aikines-Aryeetey	1–	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)	Team GB Commonwealth, World, and European Sprinting Champion	"The Power" – Snap!
Phantom	Toby Olubi	1–	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	Olympics bobsledder and sprinter	"In for the Kill" – La Roux
Steel	Zack George	1–	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)	CrossFit athlete	"Pass Out" – Tinie Tempah
Viper	Quang Luong	1–	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)	Bodybuilder, boxer and actor	"Trouble's Coming" – Royal Blood

Female Gladiators

Alias	Real name	Series	Stats	Background	Entry theme
Athena	Karenjeet Kaur Bains	1–	5 ft 4 in (1.63 m)	Commonwealth, All-England and British Powerlifting Champion	"Unfinished Sympathy" – Massive Attack
Comet	Ella-Mae Rayner	1–	5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)	Model and former elite gymnast and cheerleader	"Levitating" – Dua Lipa
Diamond	Livi Sheldon	1–	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)	Footballer-turn-bodybuilder and personal trainer	"Woman Like Me" – Little Mix featuring Nicki Minaj
Dynamite	Emily Steel	1–	5 ft 5 in (1.65 m)	Elite CrossFit athlete, weightlifter and National Swimming Champion	"Bang Bang" – Jessie J, Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj
Electro	Jade Packer	1–	5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)	Sports model, fitness coach, bodybuilder and hybrid-style athlete	"Light It Up" – Major Lazer
Fire	Montell Douglas	1–	5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)	Team GB Olympics sprinter and bobsledder	"Stop This Flame" – Celeste
Fury	Jodie Ounsley	1–	5 ft 7 in (1.70 m)	Former Rugby union player, and Brazilian jiu-jitsu and National Coal Carrying Champion	"Bad Habits (Bring Me the Horizon remix)" – Ed Sheeran
Sabre	Sheli McCoy	1–	5 ft 7 in (1.70 m)	British Weightlifting and CrossFit Championships Champion	"Let's Go" – Zayde Wolf

During January 2024, the BBC had discovered the steroid use of Gladiator Giant (Jamie Christian-Johal) from a YouTube video from 2022. The video has since then been deleted, and the Gladiator himself stated that he hasn't been in contact with any kind of "performance enhancing" drug since his professional career ended. The network also stated that upon the casting for the Gladiators and Contenders, they had to complete multiple tests in case of any prohibited steroid-use; the tests were negative for all of the Gladiators. Despite the "scandal", Giant, and the rest of the cast is expected to return for a second series of the show, which is set to air in 2025.

The youngest Gladiator of the current lineup is Dynamite (Emily Steel), at the current age of 21. Athena (Karenjeet Kaur Bains) is one of the all time shortest Gladiators at 5 foot 4 inches. Respectively, Gladiator Diamond (Livi Sheldon) is the tallest of the females, at 6 ft. Male Gladiators Apollo (Alexander Gray) and Bionic (Matty Campbell) both stand at 6 ft 6 in.

On the show, Gladiator Fury (Jodie Ounsley) is stated to be the first-ever deaf Gladiator. She has a cochlear implant, which helps her to hear despite the medical condition. The actual first-ever deaf Gladiator in the show's international history was the late American Gladiator Siren (Shelley Beattie) from the 90's. Fury's dad, Phil Ounsley competed on the '08s version as a contender.

Two of the female Gladiators were injured during the filming of the first series. Comet (Ella-Mae Rayner) sustained several bone fractures on her legs in many places – including the talus – as well as sustaining a Lisfranc injury, three ruptured ligaments, and a dislocated bone, when competing in her speciality event Hang Tough in Heat 4. Sabre (Sheli McCoy) also mildly injured her hamstring as a result of her attempt to push Bronte off the Edge in Semi Final 1. Due these incidents both of the Gladiators had to go on hiatus from the series.

Referees

The main referee is Mark Clattenburg, a former international football referee who adjudicated the 2012 Men's Olympic football final, the 2016 Champions League and European Championship finals. Clattenburg is supported by Sonia Mkoloma, a former international netball player who competed at five Netball World Cups and three Commonwealth Games, and Lee Phillips, a fitness professional and firefighter who won gold medals in the Ultimate Firefighter and CrossFit events at the 2017 World Police and Fire Games.

Commentator

Voiceover commentary is by Guy Mowbray, who previously commentated for the European Championships and the Premier League, as well as the EA Sports FC video game franchise.

Episodes

Series overview

Series overview

Series	Episodes		Originally aired		Series Champions	Runners-Up	Average viewers (millions)
			First aired	Last aired
1	11		13 January 2024 (2024-01-13)	30 March 2024 (2024-03-30)	Marie-Louise Nicholson & Finlay Anderson	Bronte Jones & Wesley Male	6.02
2	TBA		2025 (2025)	2025 (2025)	TBA	TBA	TBA

Series 1 (2024)

The first series premiered on 13 January 2024, and ran through the first quarter of the year. It featured eleven 60-minute long episodes.

The series became a ratings success on the BBC network, with the series averaging 6.02 million viewers.

No. overall	No. in series	Title	BBC One airdate	UK viewers (millions)	Weekly Rank
1	1	"Heat 1"	13 January 2024 (2024-01-13)	8.36	1
The series begins, with four contenders taking on the new Gladiators. The contenders are Finley Burkitt, a 22-year-old railway trackman from Doncaster; Myles Harris, a 32-year-old DJ and IT engineer from Leeds; Tasha Lawrence, a 41-year-old nurse and personal trainer from Ipswich; and Kerry Wilson, a 34-year-old dogwalker from Dunfermline. Events of the first heat include the returning games Duel, Gauntlet, and Hang Tough, with two new games called Collision and The Ring. The two winners of this heat, Finley and Kerry, progress to the quarter finals. Event 1: Duel Male contenders Finley   vs. Nitro (0–0) (0–0)   Myles vs. Giant Female contenders Tasha   vs. Diamond (5–0) (5–0)   Kerry vs. Fire Event 2: Collision Male contenders Finley   vs. Legend, Steel, Giant, and Viper (8–2) (8–2)   Myles vs. Legend, Steel, Giant, and Viper During the game against Finley, Viper was disqualified for leaving his trapeze and pushing Finley off. Finley contested the next 17 seconds against the three remaining Gladiators. Female contenders Tasha   vs. Fire, Athena, Electro, and Dynamite (2–4) (7–4)   Kerry vs. Fire, Athena, Electro, and Dynamite Event 3: The Ring Male contenders Finley   vs. Phantom (6–6) (14–8)   Myles vs. Apollo Female contenders Tasha   vs. Sabre (6–12) (13–16)   Kerry vs. Dynamite Event 4: Gauntlet Male contenders Finley   vs. Viper, Phantom, Steel, and Apollo (4–10) (18–18)   Myles vs. Viper, Phantom, Steel, and Apollo After Finley had cleared half the Gauntlet, his left knee was injured when Phantom pushed him back to the start. The round was ended, with Finley undergoing medical examination and receiving 4 points for the two sections he had cleared. Female contenders Tasha   vs. Electro, Athena, Fury, and Diamond (10–10) (23–26)   Kerry vs. Electro, Athena, Fury, and Diamond Event 5: Hang Tough Male contenders Finley   vs. Legend (0–5) (18–23)   Myles vs. Nitro In Myles' round, the contender reached Nitro's platform, but didn't land on it and instead started to approach the Gladiator again. Thus staying on the red rings and earning 5 points. Female contenders Tasha   vs. Fury (0–0) (23–26)   Kerry vs. Sabre Event 6: The Eliminator Male contenders Finley     Myles Entering the Eliminator, the score was 18–23. This 5-point lead gave Myles a 2.5-second head-start. Winner Finley (NOTE: Due to his knee injury, Finley would later announce his withdrawal from the first quarter final for the sake of health, with substitute contender Wesley Male taking his place.) Female contenders Tasha     Kerry Entering the Eliminator, the score was 23–26. This 3-point lead gave Kerry a 1.5-second head-start. Winner Kerry
2	2	"Heat 2"	20 January 2024 (2024-01-20)	7.01	4
The second of the heats, in which four new contenders take on the Gladiators. The contenders are John Darwen, a 31-year-old occupational therapy student from Preston; Jake Spence, a 23-year-old steelworker from Sheffield; Zoe McIntosh, a paramedic in the West Midlands; and Marie-Louise Nicholson, a 28-year-old fitness coach from Dublin. Events include returning contests Powerball and The Wall, as well as a new game – The Edge – in which Gladiators chase the contenders on a platform thirty feet (9 m) above the arena floor. Two Gladiators make their debut – Bionic in Duel, and Comet in The Wall. The two winners of this heat, Jake and Marie-Louise, progress to the quarter finals. Event 1: Powerball Male contenders Jake   vs. Nitro, Apollo, and Steel (2–4) (2–4)   John vs. Nitro, Apollo, and Steel Female contenders Zoe   vs. Fury, Sabre, and Dynamite (8–2) (8–2)   Marie-Louise vs. Fury, Sabre, and Dynamite Event 2: The Edge Male contenders Jake   vs. Legend (15–0) (17–4)   John vs. Apollo Female contenders Zoe   vs. Sabre (6–12) (14–14)   Marie-Louise vs. Fury Event 3: Gauntlet Male contenders Jake   vs. Viper, Phantom, Steel, and Giant (10–10) (27–14)   John vs. Viper, Phantom, Steel, and Giant Female contenders Zoe   vs. Athena, Fire, Electro, and Diamond (10–10) (24–24)   Marie-Louise vs. Athena, Fire, Electro, and Diamond Event 4: Duel Male contenders Jake   vs. Giant (0–0) (27–14)   John vs. Bionic Bionic won by default after 20 seconds when John grabbed his pugil stick having been left unable to fight back after the first blow. Female contenders Zoe   vs. Diamond (0–0) (24–24)   Marie-Louise vs. Fire Zoe forfeited the event when she stepped onto Diamond's podium. Event 5: The Wall Male contenders Jake   vs. Nitro (0–10) (27–24)   John vs. Legend Female contenders Zoe   vs. Diamond (5–10) (29–34)   Marie-Louise vs. Comet Event 6: The Eliminator Male contenders Jake     John Entering the Eliminator, the score was 27–24. This 3-point lead gave Jake a 1.5-second head-start. Winner Jake Female contenders Zoe     Marie-Louise Entering the Eliminator, the score was 29–34. This 5-point lead gave Marie-Louise a 2.5-second head-start. Winner Marie-Louise
3	3	"Heat 3"	27 January 2024 (2024-01-27)	6.48	5
The third heat, with contenders are Bronte Jones, a 23-year-old firefighter from Sheffield; Alex McKnight, 29-year-old civil servant; Finlay Anderson, a 34-year-old army officer from Edinburgh; and Ashley Harwood, a 28-year-old salesman from London. Events Duel, Gauntlet, The Wall, The Ring and The Edge are played, in addition to The Eliminator. The two winners of this heat, Bronte and Finlay, progress to the quarter finals. Event 1: Duel Male contenders Finlay   vs. Giant (0–10) (0–10)   Ash vs. Viper Viper received a warning from the referee for a false start; Ash won the restarted event. Female contenders Alex   vs. Dynamite (0–5) (0–5)   Bronte vs. Diamond Event 2: The Ring Male contenders Finlay   vs. Apollo (4–4) (4–14)   Ash vs. Phantom Female contenders Alex   vs. Sabre (4–8) (4–13)   Bronte vs. Fury Event 3: The Edge Male contenders Finlay   vs. Legend (12–9) (16–23)   Ash vs. Nitro Female contenders Alex   vs. Diamond (9–9) (13–22)   Bronte vs. Fury Event 4: Gauntlet Male contenders Finlay   vs. Steel, Apollo, Nitro, and Bionic (10–6) (26-29)   Ash vs. Steel, Apollo, Nitro, and Bionic During the game against Ash, Steel was disqualified for not releasing him. Ash restarted the game in the next zone. Female contenders Alex   vs. Electro, Athena, Fire, and Dynamite (10–10) (23–32)   Bronte vs. Electro, Athena, Fire, and Dynamite Event 5: The Wall Male contenders Finlay   vs. Steel (10–5) (36–34)   Ash vs. Legend Female contenders Alex   vs. Comet (5–10) (28–42)   Bronte vs. Sabre Event 6: The Eliminator Male contenders Finlay     Ash Entering the Eliminator, the score was 36–34. This 2-point lead gave Finlay a 1-second head-start. Winner Finlay Female contenders Alex     Bronte Entering the Eliminator, the score was 28–42. This 14-point lead gave Bronte a 7-second head-start. Winner Bronte
4	4	"Heat 4"	3 February 2024 (2024-02-03)	6.58	3
Contenders for the fourth heat are Matt Jones, a 41-year-old civil servant from Cardiff; Chung Leung, a 33-year-old software engineer from London; Sharan Riyat, a 33-year-old dentist from Buckinghamshire; and Nia Rutter, a 37-year-old stay at home mum from Blackpool. In this heat, Gladiator Comet makes her debut in Hang Tough, in so far her last appearance in this series. Other played events include Duel, Powerball and The Wall. The two winners of this heat, Chung and Nia, progress to the quarter-finals. Event 1: Powerball Male contenders Matt   vs. Apollo, Phantom, and Legend (2–8) (2–8)   Chung vs. Apollo, Phantom, and Legend Female contenders Sharan   vs. Fury, Athena, and Fire (2-2) (2-2)   Nia vs. Fury, Athena, and Fire Event 2: Hang Tough Male contenders Matt   vs. Legend (0-0) (2-8)   Chung vs. Nitro Female contenders Sharan   vs. Comet (0-0) (2-2)   Nia vs. Dynamite Although not mentioned during the show, after Sharan's Hang Tough round against Comet, the Gladiator issued that upon falling awkwardly on the crash-mat, she had to retire from the series due to serious leg injury on several places. Event 3: The Wall Male contenders Matt   vs. Steel (5-10) (7-18)   Chung vs. Nitro Female contenders Sharan   vs. Diamond (10-5) (12-7)   Nia vs. Electro Sharan and Nia reached the top around the same time, with Sharan deemed to have gotten there first. Event 4: Duel Male contenders Matt   vs. Giant (0-0) (7-18)   Chung vs. Phantom Female contenders Sharan   vs. Sabre (0-0) (12-7)   Nia vs. Fury Event 5: Gauntlet Male contenders Matt   vs. Bionic, Viper, Steel, and Giant (6-10) (13-28)   Chung vs. Bionic, Viper, Steel, and Giant Female contenders Sharan   vs. Electro, Fire, Dynamite, and Sabre (10-10) (22-17)   Nia vs. Electro, Fire, Dynamite, and Sabre Event 6: The Eliminator Male contenders Matt     Chung Entering the Eliminator, the score was 13−28. This 15-point lead gave Chung a 7.5-second head-start. Winner Chung Female contenders Sharan     Nia Entering the Eliminator, the score was 22−17. This 5-point lead gave Sharan a 2.5-second head-start. Winner Nia
5	5	"Heat 5"	10 February 2024 (2024-02-10)	5.83	8
The last of the heats. Contenders for the fifth heat are Tuathlaith Murtagh, a 29-year old activity manager from Belfast; Betti Worth, a 31-year old gym fitness trainer from Bolton; Dev Pankhania, a 30-year old HGV mechanic from Essex;, Paul Campbell, a 57-year old salesman from Sheffield. Notable is, that one of the male contenders, Paul, is one of the all-time oldest contender in the program's entire history, at the age of 57. All of the brand-new events, Collision, The Edge and The Ring are played, amongst classical ones. The two winners of this heat, Dev and Betti, progress to the quarter finals. Event 1: The Ring Male contenders Dev   vs. Nitro (0-2) (0-2)   Paul vs. Phantom Female contenders Tuathlaith   vs. Diamond (6-8) (6-8)   Betti vs. Fury Event 2: Collision Male contenders Dev   vs. Legend, Apollo, Viper and Giant (2-2) (2-4)   Paul vs. Legend, Apollo, Viper and Giant During the game against Dev, Legend knocked the contender off the bridge by getting him in a scissor hold. As this was an illegal move, Dev replayed the event but was then knocked of by Viper; Viper was deemed to have legally knocked Dev off, therefore ending the event. Female contenders Tuathlaith   vs. Electro, Athena, Dynamite and Fire (6-4) (12-12)   Betti vs. Electro, Athena, Dynamite and Fire Event 3: The Wall Male contenders Dev   vs. Viper (10-0) (12-4)   Paul vs. Nitro Female contenders Tuathlaith   vs. Sabre (10-0) (22-12)   Betti vs. Diamond Event 4: The Edge Male contenders Dev   vs. Steel (6-6) (18-10)   Paul vs. Legend Female contenders Tuathlaith   vs. Fury (15-3) (37-15)   Betti vs. Sabre Betti suffered an unspecified injury after landing in the net awkwardly from being tackled off the Edge by Sabre. Event 5: Duel Male contenders Dev   vs. Phantom (0-0) (18-10)   Paul vs. Steel Paul forfeited the event when he put his hands down onto Steel's podium Female contenders Tuathlaith   vs. Athena (10-5) (47-20)   Betti vs. Fire Event 6: The Eliminator Male contenders Dev     Paul Entering the Eliminator, the score was 18-10. This 8-point lead gave Dev a 4-second head-start. Winner Dev (NOTE: On his return to the third quarter-final, Dev was shown to have suffered a shoulder injury; this would be pointed out in the Eliminator then. Female contenders Tuathlaith     Betti Entering the eliminator, the score was 47-20. This 27-point lead gave Tuathlaith a 13.5-second head start. Winner Betti
6	6	"Quarter Final 1"	17 February 2024 (2024-02-17)	5.89	7
The quarter finals begin. Contenders for this episode are Finley and Tasha from Heat 1, the latter qualifying as the fastest female runner-up from the heats; and Finlay and Bronte from Heat 3. However, as contender Finley was injured during the heat, a standby contender, Wesley, took his place for the quarter-final and competed for the place in the semi-finals. The first of the quarters consists from events Duel, The Wall, The Ring, The Edge and Gauntlet. The two winners of this quarters, Wesley and Bronte, progress to the semi-finals. Event 1: Duel Male contenders Wesley   vs. Phantom (0–5) (0–5)   Finlay vs. Bionic Female contenders Tasha   vs. Dynamite (0–0) (0–0)   Bronte vs. Fury Tasha forfeited the event after putting her hands down onto Dynamite's podium. Event 2: The Wall Male contenders Wesley   vs. Viper (10-0) (10-5)   Finlay vs. Nitro Female contenders Tasha   vs. Electro (0-10) (0-10)   Bronte vs. Dynamite Event 3: The Ring Male contenders Wesley   vs. Steel (4–6) (14–11)   Finlay vs. Apollo Female contenders Tasha   vs. Electro (8-10) (8-20)   Bronte vs. Fury Event 4: The Edge Male contenders Wesley   vs. Apollo (18-9) (32-20)   Finlay vs. Legend Finlay was later found to have sustained a rib injury after Legend took him off the Edge. Consequentially, he would forfeit running the Gauntlet for this reason. Female contenders Tasha   vs. Diamond (18-3) (26-23)   Bronte vs. Sabre Event 5: Gauntlet Male contenders Wesley   vs. Nitro, Viper, Phantom, Giant (10-Forfeit) (42-20)   No Contest vs. None (No Contest) Female contenders Tasha   vs. Sabre, Athena, Fire, Diamond (10-10) (36-33)   Bronte vs. Sabre, Athena, Fire, Diamond Bronte's round was stopped twice, as Gladiators Sabre and Fire discarded their pads and stopped Bronte barehanded. They were each disqualified for doing this with Bronte continuing the game from the next sector each time. Diamond was warned by Clattenberg after dropping her rod at the end of Bronte’s run. Event 6: The Eliminator Male contenders Wesley     Finlay Entering the Eliminator, the score was 42-20. This 22-point lead gave Wesley an 11-second head-start. Winner Wesley Female contenders Tasha     Bronte Entering the eliminator, the score was 36-33. This 3-point lead gave Tasha a 1.5-second head start. Winner Bronte
7	7	"Quarter Final 2"	24 February 2024 (2024-02-24)	5.48	6
The second of the quarter finals. Contenders are Jake and Marie-Louise, the winners of Heat 2, and Chung and Nia, from Heat 4 respectively. The second of the quarters consists the events Powerball, The Wall, The Edge, Gauntlet and Duel. The two winners of this quarters, Chung and Marie-Louise, progress to the semi-finals. Event 1: Powerball Male contenders Jake   vs. Giant, Apollo, and Steel (4–0) (4–0)   Chung vs. Giant, Apollo, and Steel Female contenders Marie-Louise   vs. Fury, Fire, and Electro (2–4) (2–4)   Nia vs. Fury, Fire, and Electro The game was briefly stopped when Nia suffered a glute injury after landing on her right hip from being tackled by Fury. Event 2: The Wall Male contenders Jake   vs. Apollo (0-10) (4-10)   Chung vs. Nitro Female contenders Marie-Louise   vs. Sabre (10-0) (12-4)   Nia vs. Dynamite Event 3: The Edge Male contenders Jake   vs. Steel (0–18) (4–28)   Chung vs. Legend The event was restarted when Legend didn't chase after Chung when the game started. Female contenders Marie-Louise   vs. Fury (0–6) (12–10)   Nia vs. Sabre Event 4: Gauntlet Male contenders Jake   vs. Viper, Legend, Phantom, and Giant (10–10) (14-38)   Chung vs. Viper, Legend, Phantom, and Giant Legend was reprimanded when he continued to fight Jake after the latter got past his zone. He got reprimanded again after ringing out Chung over the rim of the Gauntlet. Both contenders' runs were restarted from the subsequent zone. Female contenders Marie-Louise   vs. Dynamite, Athena, Electro, and Diamond (10–10) (22–20)   Nia vs. Dynamite, Athena, Electro, and Diamond Event 5: Duel Male contenders Jake   vs. Nitro (0-0) (14-38)   Chung vs. Bionic Jake forfeited the event after he fell onto Nitro's podium. Female contenders Marie-Louise   vs. Diamond (0-5) (22-25)   Nia vs. Fire Event 6: The Eliminator Male contenders Jake     Chung Entering the Eliminator, the score was 14-38. This 24-point lead gave Chung a 12-second head-start. Winner Chung Female contenders Marie-Louise     Nia Entering the eliminator, the score was 22-25. This 3-point lead gave Nia a 1.5-second head start. Winner Marie-Louise
8	8	"Quarter Final 3"	2 March 2024 (2024-03-02)	5.41	5
The last of the quarter finals. The contenders are: Dev and Betti from Heat 5, Ash from Heat 3, who qualified as the fastest male runner-up and Kerry from Heat 1. The events played include The Ring, Collision, and Hang Tough for the last time in this series. The two winners of this quarters, Dev and Kerry, progress to the semi-finals. Event 1: Collision Male contenders Dev   vs. Legend, Giant, Phantom and Bionic (4–0) (4–0)   Ash vs. Legend, Giant, Phantom and Bionic Female contenders Kerry   vs. Athena, Electro, Dynamite and Diamond (0–8) (0–8)   Betti vs. Athena, Electro, Dynamite and Diamond Event 2: The Ring Male contenders Dev   vs. Steel (4–10) (8–10)   Ash vs. Viper The event was briefly stopped when Viper held onto Ash for longer than 2 seconds. He was warned for this action. Female contenders Kerry   vs. Fire (8–8) (8–16)   Betti vs. Fury Event 3: Duel Male contenders Dev   vs. Nitro (0–0) (8–10)   Ash vs. Giant Female contenders Kerry   vs. Dynamite (5–0) (13–16)   Betti vs. Sabre Though Betti survived the Duel, she did so entirely defensively using her pugil stick for balance, so Sabre won by default. Event 4: The Wall Male contenders Dev   vs. Steel (10-0) (18-10)   Ash vs. Apollo Female contenders Kerry   vs. Electro (10-0) (23-16)   Betti vs. Diamond Event 5: Hang Tough Male contenders Dev   vs. Legend (0–0) (18–10)   Ash vs. Nitro Female contenders Kerry   vs. Sabre (5–0) (28–16)   Betti vs. Dynamite Event 6: The Eliminator Male contenders Dev     Ash Entering the Eliminator, the score was 18-10. This 8-point lead gave Dev a 4-second head-start. Winner Dev (NOTE: due to his shoulder injury reoccuring in the Eliminator, Dev would announce his withdrawal from the first semi-final, with Jake, who completed it quicker than Ash did, being reinstated in his place) Female contenders Kerry     Betti Entering the eliminator, the score was 28-16. This 12-point lead gave Kerry a 6-second head start. Winner Kerry
9	9	"Semi Final 1"	9 March 2024 (2024-03-09)	4.55	6
The first of the semi finals. Quarter-final winners Dev and Bronte, as well as the fastest runners-up Finlay and Betti, competed for the place in the finals. However, Dev had to withdraw from the competition due to injury and was replaced by Jake, the next fastest male runner-up. Powerball, Duel, Gauntlet, The Wall and The Edge are played in this episode. Gladiator Sabre injured herself on The Edge and had to retire from this series, although appeared in Semi Final 2 as her game had been recorded prior to the injury. The winners of the semi are Finlay and Bronte. Event 1: Powerball Male contenders Jake   vs. Giant, Viper, and Nitro (4–6) (4–4)   Finlay vs. Giant, Viper, and Nitro Female contenders Betti   vs. Fire, Electro and Fury (8–6) (6–6)   Bronte vs. Fire, Electro and Fury Both Betti's first success at scoring during the womens' game and Finlay's second success at scoring during the mens' game were deemed invalid, as Betti had been fully tackled by Electro before she scored, and Finlay's attempt at a long pot bounced before entering the basket. Event 2: Duel Male contenders Jake   vs. Bionic (0–0) (4–4)   Finlay vs. Phantom Finlay forfeited the event when he stepped onto Phantom's podium. Female contenders Betti   vs. Sabre (5–5) (11–11)   Bronte vs. Diamond Event 3: Gauntlet Male contenders Jake   vs. Steel, Legend, Apollo and Giant (10–10) (14–14)   Finlay vs. Steel, Legend, Apollo and Giant Female contenders Betti   vs. Electro, Athena, Fire and Diamond (10–10) (21–21)   Bronte vs. Electro, Athena, Fire and Diamond Event 4: The Wall Male contenders Jake   vs. Apollo (10-0) (24-14)   Finlay vs. Nitro Female contenders Betti   vs. Dynamite (0-10) (21-31)   Bronte vs. Sabre Event 5: The Edge Male contenders Jake   vs. Legend (6–4) (30–18)   Finlay vs. Apollo In Finlay's run, the game was briefly stopped after he lost a shoe. Female contenders Betti   vs. Fury (4–2 (10)) (25–41)   Bronte vs. Sabre In Bronte's run, the game was stopped after 30 seconds when Sabre injured herself when trying to push her off, therefore Bronte automatically claimed maximum points. Event 6: The Eliminator Male contenders Jake     Finlay Entering the Eliminator, the score was 30-18. This 12-point lead gave Jake a 6-second head-start. Winner Finlay Female contenders Betti     Bronte Entering the eliminator, the score was 25-41. This 16-point lead gave Bronte an 8-second head start. Winner Bronte
10	10	"Semi Final 2"	23 March 2024 (2024-03-23)	N/A	TBA
In the last semi final, battling for the final places for the Grand Final are male contenders Wesley and Chung, and female contenders Kerry and Marie-Louise. During the fourth event, Powerball, Chung injured himself and had to withdraw from the competition. He was replaced by Matt, the competitor who lost to him in the heats, for the remainder of the competition. The winners of the semi are Wesley and Marie-Louise. The episode also sees Sabre's last appearance during the series, and Dynamite appearing in 4 different events! The winners of this semi final are Wesley and Marie-Louise, who advance to the final. NOTE: For the reason of Matt being reinstated following Chung's injury, the latter's scores in events 1 to 3 will be regarded as if Matt were competing. Event 1: Duel Male contenders Wesley   vs. Giant (0–0) (0–0)   Matt (as Chung) vs. Bionic Female contenders Kerry   vs. Fire (5–0) (5–0)   Marie-Louise vs. Dynamite Event 2: The Wall Male contenders Wesley   vs. Steel (0-10) (0-10)   Matt (as Chung) vs. Nitro Female contenders Kerry   vs. Diamond (10-5) (15-5)   Marie-Louise vs. Dynamite Event 3: The Edge Male contenders Wesley   vs. Legend (8–2) (8–12)   Matt (as Chung) vs. Apollo Female contenders Kerry   vs. Sabre (10–2) (25–7)   Marie-Louise vs. Diamond Contender Kerry faced Sabre in this event, although the Gladiator can be seen injuring herself during the previous episode; this semi final was recorded before the previous semi final. Sabre fell from the Edge upon chasing Kerry - earning the contender the full 10 points. Event 4: Powerball Male contenders Wesley   vs. Phantom, Steel and Apollo (4–0) (12–12)   Matt vs. Phantom, Steel and Apollo The mens' game was suspended after 15 seconds when a tackle by Apollo resulted in Chung injuring his left knee. After the womens' game was played to fill in the time, it was deemed that Chung could no longer compete, with his heat runner-up, Matt, being reinstated for the remainder of the semi-final. Female contenders Kerry   vs. Fury, Athena and Dynamite (4–4) (29–11)   Marie-Louise vs. Fury, Athena and Dynamite Event 5: Gauntlet Male contenders Wesley   vs. Viper, Nitro, Phantom, and Giant (10-10) (22-22)   Matt vs. Viper, Nitro, Phantom, and Giant In Matt's run, Matt was forced to re-run the last section of the Gauntlet after he was ringed out over the edge by Giant, but was illogically deemed to have "deliberately" left the Gauntlet. Female contenders Kerry   vs. Electro, Athena, Dynamite, and Diamond (10-10) (39-21)   Marie-Louise vs. Electro, Athena, Dynamite, and Diamond Event 6: The Eliminator Male contenders Wesley     Matt Entering the Eliminator, the score was 22-22. This was a tie score, so nobody got time advantage. Winner Wesley Female contenders Kerry     Marie-Louise Entering the eliminator, the score was 39-21. This 18-point lead gave Kerry a 9-second head start. Winner Marie-Louise
11	11	"Final"	30 March 2024 (2024-03-30)	N/A	TBA
The series champions are crowned here. The male finalists are Wesley Male and Finlay Anderson, and female finalists are Marie-Louise Nicholson and Bronte Jones. Events of the final are Gauntlet, Duel, The Edge, The Wall and Collision. The winners were crowned as Marie-Louise and Finlay. At the end of the show, it was announced that the casting for the contenders of series 2 was open. Event 1: Gauntlet Male contenders Finlay   vs. Nitro, Steel, Phantom, Apollo (10-10) (10-10)   Wesley vs. Nitro, Steel, Phantom, Apollo Female contenders Bronte   vs. Electro, Athena, Fire, Diamond (10-10) (10-10)   Marie-Louise vs. Electro, Athena, Fire, Diamond Marie-Louise's run was briefly stopped, when Diamond used illegal methods of preventing the contender to finish the Gauntlet. After restart she made it to the end of the Gauntlet. Event 2: Duel Male contenders Finlay   vs. Giant (0-0) (10-10)   Wesley vs. Bionic Female contenders Bronte   vs. Fire (0-0) (10-10)   Marie-Louise vs. Dynamite During her match against Bronte, Gladiator Fire was warned by the referee from jabbing against the contender. Event 3: The Edge Male contenders Finlay   vs. Legend (4-2) (14-12)   Wesley vs. Apollo Female contenders Bronte   vs. Fury (0-8) (10-18)   Marie-Louise vs. Diamond Event 4: The Wall Male contenders Finlay   vs. Steel (0-0) (14-12)   Wesley vs. Nitro Female contenders Bronte   vs. Dynamite (0-0) (10-18)   Marie-Louise vs. Diamond Event 5: Collision Male contenders Finlay   vs. Viper, Giant, Bionic, Legend (0-2) (14-14)   Wesley vs. Viper, Giant, Bionic, Legend Female contenders Bronte   vs. Athena, Electro, Dynamite, Fury (6-2) (16-20)   Marie-Louise vs. Athena, Electro, Dynamite, Fury Event 6: The Eliminator Male contenders Finlay     WEsley Entering the Eliminator, the score was 14-14. This was a tie score, so nobody got time advantage. Winner Finlay (Finlay crowned as the series male champion) Female contenders Bronte     Marie-Louise Entering the Eliminator, the score was 16-20. This 4-point lead gave Marie-Louise a 2-second head-start. Winner Marie-Louise (Marie-Louise crowned as the series female champion)

Contenders progress

Color key:

  Series champions

  Runners-up

  The contender won the episode and advanced

  The contender was medically withdrawn from the competition

  The contender was the fastest finisher and qualified

  The contender lost the episode and was eliminated

Contenders	Episodes
	Heats					Quarter Finals			Semi Finals		Final
	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11
Finlay Anderson	—		WIN	—		FF	—		WIN	—	WINNER
Marie-Louise Nicholson	—	WIN	—				WIN	—		WIN	WINNER
Bronte Jones	—		WIN	—		WIN	—		WIN	—	RUNNER-UP
Wesley Male	—					WIN	—			WIN	RUNNER-UP
Matt Jones	—			OUT	—					OUT	—
Kerry Wilson	WIN	—						WIN	—	OUT	—
Chung Leung	—			WIN	—		WIN	—		WDR	—
Jake Spence	—	WIN	—				FF	—	OUT	—
Betti Worth	—				WIN	—		FF	OUT	—
Dev Pankhania	—				WIN	—		WIN	WDR	—
Ashley Harwood	—		FF	—				OUT	—
Nia Rutter	—			WIN	—		OUT	—
Tasha Lawrence	FF	—				OUT	—
Finley Burkitt	WIN	—				WDR	—
Paul Campbell	—				OUT	—
Tuathlaith Murtagh	—				OUT	—
Sharan Riyat	—			OUT	—
Alex McKnight	—		OUT	—
John Darwen	—	OUT	—
Zoe McIntosh	—	OUT	—
Myles Harris	OUT	—

Series 2 (2025)

A second series has been commissioned by the BBC to be produced in 2024, and airing in 2025, following to the ratings success of the first series.

The series is also set to have at least one celebrity special. Although the participants of which are yet to be revealed, some well-known personalities like radio presenter Gemma Atkinson, BBC Sports star Alex Scott, and 'blonde bomber' boxer Ebanie Bridges are tipped to appear.

Critical reception

The series received positive reviews, with The Guardian describing it as a "phenomenal reboot" of its original show. In a highly positive thinkpiece, The Independent praised the show's updated sensibilities, writing: "The entire show is a testament to the fact that we can still enjoy those things from our youth, and that 'updating them for a modern audience' doesn’t mean ripping out the heart of what made them appealing in the first place." On his The Rest Is Entertainment podcast, Richard Osman praised the casting and described the series debut as a "smash hit".

Ulrika Jonsson, who presented the original programme, said the reboot had done a "good job" overall, but criticised the absence of cheerleaders that had been used in previous iterations of the show, stating that the cheerleaders brought "another level" to the production.

The show's official Instagram account – which covers exclusive -and behind the scenes footages – has gathered nearly 58 thousand followers to date.

External links

• Gladiators at BBC Online
• Gladiators at IMDb
• Gladiators at UKGameshows.com