After ten gruelling weeks competing against the superhuman Gladiators, the final four contenders, Finlay Anderson, Wesley Male, Bronte Jones and Marie-Louise Nicholson will take to the arena one last time to see who has the will, the skill and the heart to be a winner and walk away Gladiators champion 2024. Before they go head to head in the legendary Eliminator, they first will feel the power of the Gladiators!
Gladiators 鈥� The Grand Final takes place on Saturday 30 March from 5.50pm on 麻豆约拍 One and iPlayer
Watch Gladiators on iPlayer now
MJ
Who are the Gladiators Finalists?
Finlay
Army Officer Finlay was put through his paces in the heats by coming against Giant in Duel and Apollo in The Ring before claiming victory in The Eliminator. The Quarter Finals saw him injure himself on The Edge so he chose to forfeit the Gauntlet meaning he went into The Eliminator 11 seconds behind his opponent Wesley. However all was not lost as Finlay earned his place in the Semi Finals as the fastest runner up and managed to win which meant a rematch against Wesley in the Gladiators Final.
Finlay, how does it feel to get the to Gladiators Grand Final?
Surreal! I started this journey just happy with the opportunity to be on such an iconic show from my childhood. The dream has now reached a whole new level, could I really be the Gladiators Champion?!
Who was the toughest Gladiator to compete against?
Nitro. His explosive power is pretty impossible to match in any event! Annoyingly he is a really nice guy too.
Any memorable moments?
The moment I jumped into the crowd after winning my heat and picked up my son. I hope he is inspired to enter in 2044.
What鈥檚 been your favourite and least favourite event to compete in?
Favourite has to be The Eliminator - it is a test of fitness that has everything, especially the iconic Travelator! Least favourite is definitely The Edge, aside from being the one where I got injured it is the hardest to build up a momentum and I feel like I never really got the hang of it.
What advice would you give to anyone thinking of taking part?
Do it! This has been the most fun and surreal experience, meeting some of the nicest and most impressive people. To prepare physically, you need to be functionally fit across as many skills as possible - Run, climb, jump, balance, lift, wrestle, contact sports and gymnastics - make your body bulletproof and ready for anything.
What would winning Gladiators mean to you?
Childhood dream come true! From making my own Eliminator with my brother aged 5 in my granny鈥檚 living room to competing in the 2024 series is quite a leap.
Wesley
Wrestler Wesley joined the competition in the Quarter Finals where he stunned the Gladiators in Gauntlet and just beat fellow finalist Finlay in The Eliminator to earn his place in the Semi Finals. There he flew past Legend on The Edge & dug deep to win The Eliminator setting up a rematch with Finlay in the Final.
How does it feel to get the Gladiators final?
Absolutely amazing, being a part of the process is a once in a lifetime opportunity a dream come true. Being able to perform on one of my favourite TV Shows, in Sheffield Arena (I鈥檝e attended many times as a wresting fan), in front of family & friends in the Gladiators Final will be something I will remember for the rest of my life!
What has been the toughest challenge you鈥檝e faced on the show so far?
Managing my emotions and my body throughout the days events. Tough on the body but also mentally psyching myself up to perform to the best of my ability for each event.
Who was the toughest Gladiator to compete against?
Depending on the event they are all tough! Nitro is just too fast, Phantom just doesn鈥檛 stop, Steel has phenomenal endurance and Giant & Bionic are huge! Being ready to adapt to each Gladiators strength was a huge challenge.
What鈥檚 been your favourite event to compete in?
My favourite was The Edge as I was able to show my strength, speed & agility all in one!
What advice would you give to anyone thinking of taking part?
Train for long days and get to know your body how hard you can push and when to play smart, watching the events you should be able to cater your training accordingly. But most importantly enjoy it, which the team mentioned early on. I鈥檓 glad I took that onboard because oh how I enjoyed it!
What would winning Gladiators mean to you?
Dream come true, something I鈥檝e wanted to do since being a teenager! It would be the icing and a cherry on top for the 14 years I鈥檝e been training and competing as a professional wrestler, it will give me the confidence to keep going towards bigger dream of being a Pro Wrestler full time or indeed a Gladiator!
Bronte
23 year old firefighter Bronte from Sheffield has only failed to pick up points once throughout her run on the series. In the heats she managed to withstand some powerful hits from Diamond in Duel and in the Quarter Finals came up against the mighty Fury in The Ring. Bronte came from behind in The Eliminator to secure her spot in the last four. In the Semi Final she powered through Gauntlet and earned her place in the Final.
How does it feel to get the Gladiators final?
It feels crazy to be in the Gladiators Final! I applied for this show because I thought it would be a lot of fun and a brilliant experience, although I鈥檓 a very competitive person I really wasn鈥檛 expecting to get this far into the process and to know I鈥檝e held my own against the Gladiators, I feel really proud of myself.
What has been the toughest challenge you鈥檝e faced on the show so far?
I think being out of my comfort zone, I love a challenge and this is a completely different putting myself in the spotlight for millions of people to watch has been challenging. Also speaking in front of thousands of people in the audience and lots of cameras around all the time was very overwhelming, but that鈥檚 why I love to challenge myself because I really revelled in it all and it proves that it pays off to push yourself sometimes.
Who was the toughest Gladiator to compete against?
Definitely Fury! That girl is super strong, powerful and she knows how to tackle! I love the sportsmanship she brings you can tell she鈥檚 a professional athlete, but I what I love the most is the aggression she brings, I can relate to that a lot, how she switches on during the games but is a really nice person backstage.
Any memorable moments?
I think the most memorable moment is The Eliminator in the Quarters where I fell off the cargo net but then managed to get back up and get through the finish line first. I think that鈥檚 most memorable because of everyone鈥檚 reaction afterwards, everyone thought that I鈥檇 lost at that point but I鈥檓 glad I never gave up because I think it proves that even when you鈥檙e down you can pick yourself back up again and still win!
What鈥檚 been your favourite and least favourite event to compete in?
I think I was the best at The Wall, however I loved Duel the most, just because it鈥檚 absolutely iconic. I think my least favourite was The Edge because I wasn鈥檛 good at the tactics all I did was go for speed, and when I鈥檓 against Fury she鈥檚 fearless she could predict my moves and get me off every time!
What advice would you give to anyone thinking of taking part?
I would say absolutely 100% put an application in and go for it! It鈥檚 probably the best experience I鈥檝e ever had in my life and I hope I can inspire others that a normal person like me can go on a show like Gladiators, don鈥檛 get me wrong it鈥檚 a lot of pressure but it鈥檚 so worth it and the feeling afterwards is just amazing!
What would winning Gladiators mean to you?
Winning Gladiators would be such an amazing achievement that I鈥檇 be proud of! It would mean the world to me knowing that I made all of my friends and family proud because they鈥檝e been such amazing support, I鈥檇 love to be able to bring it home for a home crowd of Sheffield. I think the biggest part out of this whole journey is inspiring younger generations. I鈥檝e been on fire calls recently and kids have recognised me off the show and been so excited to see me, or when we鈥檝e been doing community work in schools seeing the kids faces light up when I walk in has been magical and so humbling to think that even if I just inspire one person to go on and do something amazing then it鈥檚 made everything I do worthwhile.
Marie-Louise
Dublin born personal trainer Marie-Louise scored maximum points 5 times over the series. In the heats she did struggle on the dreaded travelator but managed to power through to the Quarter Finals where she was able to escape Sabre鈥檚 claws and climb to the top of The Wall. Marie-Louise won her place in the Semis where she was dealt some powerful blows from an explosive Dynamite on Duel and sent over The Edge by Diamond. However she overcame a 9 second deficient on The Eliminator to take victory and become a finalist.
How does it feel to get the Gladiators final?
Amazing, a dream come true. Back when we were auditioning I was so stokedto get a call back, never ever did I think I would now be standing here gifted a place in the Gladiators Final!! It just makes me believe that I am capable of so much more then I ever believed.
But it has been a journey of being inspired by television, watching an old show that touched so many hearts in the 90s come to life again and be such a massive success. The amount of hard work that goes into a show like this, it truly is one of a kind and this reflects why it has been such a big hit. I am inspired and so lucky to a part of it all.
What has been the toughest challenge you鈥檝e faced on the show so far?
I can鈥檛 believe that I have made it all the way to the Final. It is a huge boost for me and anyone thinking of auditioning, should always run your own race, and never worry or be embarrassed of how people will perceive you.
Who was the toughest Gladiator to compete against?
Most definitely Fury, the girl has the sweetest heart but my days, the moment she is on the dance floor, she hits hard. I feel she got stronger as the competition went on.
Any memorable moments?
The most memorable for me would have to be the Semi Final Eliminator. Even when the odds are stacked against you, you can achieve anything you put your mind to. I couldn鈥檛 believe it! Although I would have loved to have seen Kerry in the Final also.
What鈥檚 been your favourite and least favourite event to compete in?
Oh that鈥檚 an easy one, my favourite would have to be The Wall. It came as a bit of a surprise to me actually (the producers don鈥檛 know this) but before the show, I had a massive fear of heights. To my surprise I absolutely zipped up the wall, definitely something I will be keeping up outside of the show.
Duel would have to have been my least favourite - I don鈥檛 think I have lasted more then 10 seconds up on those podiums. I have been practicing though so you never know what the Final will bring.
What advice would you give to anyone thinking of taking part?
100% go for it! I never thought it would be something I would have ever done. It has now opened up a new career path that I would love to explore. So definitely do it, what have you got to lose.
What would winning Gladiators mean to you?
Well, funny you say that, a spot has just opened up on my mantelpiece.
Hahah I鈥檓 only messing , Winning Gladiators would not just prove to me and everyone around, to believe in yourself. But to also show people your true self and they will resonate so much stronger with it. Always keep dancing even when the stakes are high.