Contenders Ready? Gladiators Ready? Foam fingers at the ready, it’s The Grand Final of Gladiators!
The contenders have tasted victory in the heats, battled in the quarters and survived the semi-finals but now it all comes down to this! The arena is set, the Gladiators are waiting in the wings and only five brutal events stand between them and the ultimate Eliminator, which will determine who will be crowned the Gladiators Champions 2025.
After ten gruelling weeks competing against the superhuman Gladiators, the final four contenders, Joe Fishburn, Mus Dumbuya, Amanda Wah and Aneila Afsar enter 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 2025. Before they go head to head in the legendary Eliminator, they first will feel the power of the Gladiators
Gladiators – The Grand Final takes place on Saturday 12 April from 5.50pm on BBC One and iPlayer
MJ
Meet the contenders
Joe Fishburn
Scarborough born gymnast Joe has earned a reputation for being as fast as a rocket. In the heats he managed to outrun Apollo in Unleash before flying through to the quarter finals setting a new Eliminator record time. In the quarters he managed to get a full 10 points on The Edge in 19.7 seconds setting another record. He left Steel trailing on The Wall in the semis before swinging through the paper to earn his place in the final.
How does it feel to get to the Gladiators Grand Final?
I can’t quite put into words what making it to the Gladiators Grand Final means to me. I set out on this journey to share with the world my positive take on adversity to try to inspire gymnasts and young athletes throughout the country to go after their dreams, no matter what life throws at them. I preach this to the gymnasts I work with and getting the opportunity on the show has given me a chance to back it up! The Grand Final would give me an opportunity to try bring the trophy home for the gymnasts, those with adverse backgrounds and I think it would look amazing on Grandma Christine’s mantlepiece!
Which event have you found the toughest?
Well… I would have to say Duel! This is the one event which had me baffled! The Gladiators are so strong and the size difference really plays to their advantage here. I also think people underestimate how scary the new game Unleash is! Not knowing who’s chasing you as they run out of that smoke! TERRIFYING
What has been your favourite event and why?
I would have to say Powerball or maybe The Edge! With a rugby background alongside my gymnastics I enjoy being in the contact games! Any events where you can see the Gladiators and I can try to incorporate some of my gymnastics skills.
Any memorable moments from the series?
So many! Beating Legend on The Wall as I must say I am a huge Legend fan. Or maybe jumping over Steel and Legend in Powerball to score 2 points!
Maybe breaking the record for the fastest 10 points on The Edge and dodging Apollo!
The whole experience has created some of the best memories of my life thus far although the best one has got to be bursting through that paper for the first time in the heats and then going to give my Grandma Christine a hug!
What advice would you give to someone thinking of taking part?
DO IT! Life is short! If I got the opportunity I promised myself and Christine that I would give it my all even if my body gave out! Do it if your scared, do it if you don’t know, do it if you’re old, JUST DO IT!!
What would winning Gladiators mean to you and to your Grandma Christine?
This whole experience has been incredible, I never thought I would have the chance of going for glory! It would mean the world to become Gladiators champion for my Grandma Christine after everything she has done for me and hopefully my late mum is watching the show from up there!
I can’t put into words what bursting through that paper first would mean to me, you can be assured that when that whistle sounds there will be no holding back and I will give it my all! For the gymnast!!
Mus Dumbuya
London youth worker Mus took some heavy hits in The Ring but that didn’t stop him conquering The Wall in the heats igniting a rivalry with Legend. In the quarters he came out swinging defeating Legend in Hang Tough. The semis saw a grudge match on The Wall where Mus soared to the top breaking his own record. With another record-breaking time on the Eliminator Mus earned his place in the final.
How does it feel to get to the Gladiators Grand Final?
Unreal! Following the previous stages, I have now embodied the mindset of a warrior and I’m ready to give it my all and entertain the young people in the audience who have been supporting me. I was influenced by Gladiators when I was a child so in some ways I feel like I've been preparing for this my entire life!
Which event have you found the toughest?
The Ring! This event was literally head to head, strength v strength, against the man Steel, who is almost double my size. I felt like a frail primary school kid who was up against a secondary school senior!
What has been your favourite event and why?
I'd say that it's gotta be Hang Tough! I train with gymnastic rings daily, I even have them hanging on my staircase at home. I was up against the best, Legend, but I fancied my chances and had to relish the opportunity.
Any memorable moments from the series?
Hang Tough, again! During this event I felt an immense amount of pressure to walk away with 10-points. When the ref blew the whistle, I took a few small steps back and then a giant leap forward, skipping a few rows of rings at a time. Then I could see Legend intersecting my path and I switched to 'hyper focus' mode, where everything felt like it was in slow motion - my instincts took over!
What advice would you give to someone thinking of taking part?
View the arena as your playground. Allow your inner child to come to life, take risks, and trust your instincts.
What would winning Gladiators mean to you?
In my world, it's the equivalent on winning an Olympic Gold Medal. All the young people I work with are extremely proud and inspired so I feel like I've already won!
Amanda Wah
Amanda from Warrington powered through the heats as she shook off Dynamite to climb up The Wall. In the quarter final she scored maximum points against Sabre on The Edge and in the semis managed to get the highest score ever on Powerball She had a 7 and a half second lead on The Eliminator which saw her race up the Travelator to earn her place in the final.
How does it feel to get to the Gladiators Grand Final?
This is a childhood dream come true – what a wild ride, and absolutely the best show to be a part of! To be in the arena filming a show that has united families in front of the TV again on a Saturday night is absolutely epic and getting to rub shoulders with the unbelievable humans that are the Gladiators is awe-inspiring.
Every single stage of the competition has been nothing short of phenomenal – but now I’m in the final, I want to win more than ever. What started as me just being happy to be a part of such an iconic show has now changed into something else – I want to get my hands on that trophy! That’s the sportsperson in me coming out, I think!
Which event have you found the toughest?
It’s no secret that I’m more built for power than speed – so Unleash was always going to be outside my comfort zone! Having professional sprinters chase you over hurdles and up stairs is absolutely terrifying – what a game! It’s loads of fun, and a mega adrenaline rush - but just pretty hard to get those ten points if you’re not a very speedy runner! Some of my fellow contenders were really fast, it’s great to see it done properly! My girlfriend was sending me GIFs of donkeys just before I went out to the starting line – it definitely helped my nerves having a giggle at myself.
What has been your favourite event and why?
It’s a close call between The Edge and Powerball, but I think Powerball just wins it for me. I love a scrap, and I loved the opportunity to go full-force with the Gladiators and give it 100% of my strength and power. I don’t often get to do that with opponents in any of my normal training, but those girls can take a hit and give as good as they get – it was the best fun I had in the whole competition! It also obviously feels good to be good at something – so setting an all-time record for points in my semi-final made me very, very pleased with myself!
Any memorable moments from the series?
Too many to count – but here’s a few:
- Getting ultimate respect from Sabre after a 10-point win on The Edge in my quarterfinal felt incredible. I know the Gladiators are meant to hate the contenders winning, but it showed such genuine sportsmanship that she complimented my game, it made me love her even more. Even when she loses, she raises the contenders up – it’s a great lesson for the kids watching!
- Having 160 of my friends and family in the audience to support me. I think it caused the production team a bit of a headache that we turned out in such force, but it felt so good to have such a huge tribe cheering me on and being a real part of the experience right there in the arena. A whole army decked out in rainbow tie dye ‘AMANDA’ tees was such a massive boost every time I saw them.
- Being inside one of the Atlaspheres was a real ‘pinch-me’ moment. Those things are such a core memory for fans of the original 1990’s series, I was blown away that they were brought back for this season! It was like being in a dream standing inside, ready to roll them and crash into the arena against the Gladiators – and they look absolutely ICONIC smashing around with the fire and lights going off on the arena floor.
- Kids from the arena audience were lining up for autographs and photos with me at every opportunity – it was crazy! They were absolutely starstruck by all of the contenders, as well as the Gladiators, and it really hit home how important it is to be a great role model for those young people. Me and the other contenders, win or lose, are already superstars to them, and that’s an incredible chance to inspire, and to role model good values and good behaviour both inside the arena and in normal life. It’s actually inspired me to start our first kids classes at my gym in Warrington!
What would winning Gladiators mean to you?
There’s only a handful of people who’ve had a chance to hold up that trophy, and I feel so incredibly lucky to be in with a shot to join that elite few…
It would be incredible to have done it for everyone who supported me. It’s like in sport – supporters may follow their team to every match, home or away, but it’s always sweeter to reward them with a win. I would be so, so proud to hold up that trophy to my friends and family and show them what the power of community did to get me through to victory! I couldn’t have done it without them.
It would also mean the world to me to show young girls and women – especially ones who might look a bit different to the norm – that they can be winners. That they can be physically big, strong and powerful, and that those things are attributes. Gladiators is leading the way in championing strong women, and changing the narrative around gender roles, so being a part of that feels absolutely historic.
Aneila Afsar
Aneila from Manchester really did Hang Tough against Sabre as she held onto the rings. In the quarters she showcased her speed against Cyclone in Unleash and currently holds the female record for completing the event in 23.6 seconds. She qualified as the fastest runner up in the quarter finals where she was narrowly beaten by Zavia in semis but has reached the final as the fastest runner up.
Aneila, how did you feel when you heard you would be competing in the Gladiators final?
A lot of mixed emotions - bittersweet for sure. Anyone who’s been following the show knows how badly I wanted to make it to the final, but this isn’t the way I wanted to get there. At the same time, I’m beyond grateful for the opportunity and so excited for what’s ahead.
Any words for Zavia?
Zavia is an incredible contender and an even better person. It’s an honour to represent her and I’ll actually be wearing some of her gems in the final.
What has been your favourite event and why?
Unleash has been my favourite event so far. It’s just so fast-paced and exciting, and I love running—so it’s right up my street.
Any memorable moments from the series?
Hang Tough in the heats was definitely a moment. Hanging on for over 30 seconds with Sabre’s full body weight on me was insane. I had no idea I had that kind of upper body strength, but the adrenaline just took over.
What advise would you give to someone thinking of taking part?
This has been one of the best experiences of my life. If you’re thinking of applying, just go for it! But be warned—it’s SO much harder than it looks on TV, so make sure you’re physically ready.
What would winning Gladiators mean to you?
Winning Gladiators would be amazing. I’m a competitive person and a former pro athlete so I’m always in it to win it. But honestly, just getting here is huge. I’ve already broken so many barriers as the first Muslim woman on the show, and now being in the final is incredible. I know that my presence alone will have a positive impact on Muslim women, and that means everything to me.
Finally a word from Zavia Hill
Unfortunately, brave female finalist, Zavia from Manchester will not be competing in the final due to sustaining an injury during the semi final. Despite the injury, she pushed through and continued to compete in the remaining events, including the Eliminator. Her determination paid off when she powered up the Travelator to win a place in the final. However, due to her injury, Zavia is unable to take part and has to withdraw from the competition leaving Aneila to take her place in final.
What did reaching the final mean to you?
Reaching the final felt special—I usually give up when I feel like I’ve failed. After injuring my leg in the Gauntlet, I convinced myself I was out. But at the start of the Eliminator, I thought, not this time! Give it your all, girl! Backstage, the physio told me to picture someone I love at the finish line—so I imagined 7-year-old Zavia. I’d never thought of loving myself that much before, but she deserved it. This one was for her
No matter what, you HAVE to keep going!
When did you realise you wouldn’t be able to compete in the final?
During the Gauntlet, I knew my time on the show was probably over—I was devastated! I got very emotional after I realised I'd hurt my leg as bad as I did. When I got home and the adrenaline had worn off, I realised I could hardly move my leg but on the plus side, I got to watch the final from the front row and cheer both of my friends on.
How would you best describe your Gladiators experience?
Fever dream - was that even real?! Did I just shatter all my own expectations? Haha! It was transformative, I feel like a butterfly with newfound confidence.
What advice would you give to someone who was thinking of applying to be on the show?
Learn how to calm your nerves and be present in every moment. a clear mind will allow you to act with purpose, leads to better judgement and in turn, a better outcome.
Finally any words for Aneila?
Have fun and do Manchester proud! 😉
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