Finlay Anderson and Marie-Louise Nicholson clinched the Gladiators championship title after Saturday night’s grand finale.
The duo outpaced their competitors, Wesley Male and Bronte Jones, to seize the coveted trophy following an intense 11-week contest.
The revival of the 1990s classic has struck a chord with audiences, drawing an average of eight million viewers each week and securing the green light for a second series.
In the ultimate showdown, Anderson and Nicholson dashed to conquer the travelator and tore through the paper barrier to claim victory.
Anderson, an army officer from Edinburgh, outpaced wrestler Male to emerge triumphant. Reflecting on the win, the 34-year-old expressed disbelief, stating it was “the most surreal moment ever,” transitioning from childhood fantasies of playing The Eliminator in his grandmother’s living room to “lifting the real deal.”
Meanwhile, Nicholson, a personal trainer from Dublin, maintained her lead against Sheffield firefighter Jones in The Eliminator, securing a two-second advantage and holding on to clinch the win.
“Bronte was on my tail the whole time; what a competitor to go up against. She was so close to the end there. I think we’re both winners in my eyes,” the 28-year-old shared with host Bradley Walsh.
The series, filmed at Sheffield Arena, introduced 16 new Gladiators, including Sabre, Legend, Giant, and Diamond, who quickly became fan favorites. Over the 11-week span, they engaged contenders in classic events such as Duel and the Eliminator.
Anderson cited The Edge, a nerve-wracking chase on an elevated grid, as the toughest challenge, particularly due to rib injuries sustained during the quarter-finals. Nicholson, on the other hand, found dueling challenging, given her petite stature compared to the formidable Gladiators.
A recent announcement in its annual plan revealed the return of the Gladiators to Sheffield Arena for a second series. Kalpna Patel-Knight, the head of entertainment, expressed delight at the positive reception from families and eagerly anticipated more action-packed episodes.
Maintaining the original format has been crucial to the show’s resurgence, according to media experts. Tom Harrington, an analyst at media research firm Enders Analysis, praised the producers for preserving what made the show compelling in the first place without unnecessary alterations that often dilute the original charm.
First aired on ITV on October 10, 1992, Gladiators revolutionized Saturday night television with its Lycra-clad warriors and demanding challenges. The show enjoyed a successful run until 2000 before being revived by Sky from 2008 to 2009.
launched in January, features father-son duo Bradley and Barney Walsh as presenters. Despite increased competition for viewers’ attention in today’s media landscape, the Gladiators reboot has garnered significant success, with its premiere episode attracting nearly 10 million viewers, including catch-up figures.
Harrington commended the show for reviving the tradition of families gathering on Saturday nights to watch television, a trend that has waned in recent years with the rise of alternative entertainment platforms.
“It’s a declining phenomenon, especially when you consider that younger viewers are moving away from TV to short-form video or streaming services,” Harrington noted. “But here you have a show that’s on at a particular time slot, and people [have tuned] in.”
