The hit BBC Saturday night gameshow Gladiators is set to up the ante with a breathtaking new challenge that will leave viewers on the edge of their seats. In next week's episode, a brand new event called 'Everest' will see contenders and Gladiators battle it out while suspended a dizzying 21 feet above the arena floor.
A Battle in the Sky: The Everest Challenge
The premise of Everest is as simple as it is terrifying. A contender and a Gladiator will be positioned on a large platform high above the ground, separated by a central barrier. Their objective is to push their opponent off the platform to the mats below. The catch? The platform itself will tilt, adding an unstable, unpredictable element to the high-stakes showdown. This game promises to test balance, nerve, and sheer willpower like never before on the show.
Bigger, Bolder, and a Well-Oiled Machine
Everest is the second of three new events being introduced in the current series. The first, 'Destruction', debuted on Saturday, January 17. In that game, two contenders and one Gladiator race down lanes, smashing through four 8ft barriers to hit a final button. Speaking about the new additions, host Bradley Walsh, 65, was full of praise. "We've got three new events that really raise the stakes, testing both the Gladiators and contenders in completely different ways," he said. "With series three, it's bigger, bolder and runs like a well-oiled machine."
His co-host and son, Barney Walsh, 28, added an intriguing tease, noting that while two events are brand new, one is "the return of an original", a move he believes fans will appreciate.
A Revived Legacy Continues
The current BBC revival, which first launched in 2024, is the second time the iconic physical competition has been brought back to UK screens. The original ran on ITV for eight years until 2000, before a short-lived Sky revival from 2008 to 2009. The show pits everyday contestants against the show's elite athletes—the Gladiators—in tests of speed, power, endurance, and agility.
This series features a formidable roster of Gladiators including Apollo, Athena, Bionic, Comet, Cyclone, Diamond, Dynamite, Electro, Fire, Fury, The Giant, Hammer, Legend, Nitro, Phantom, Sabre, Steel, and Viper.
Viewers can witness the debut of the nerve-shredding Everest challenge when Gladiators continues on BBC One and iPlayer at 5.45pm on Saturday, January 24.
