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The game show sees contenders face off against the programme’s elite athletes in various physical feats
Lauren Del Fabbro Thursday 25 December 2025 21:30 GMT- Bookmark
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Fitness coach Joe Wicks and Irish presenter Vogue Williams have been crowned champions of the celebrity edition of Gladiators.
The pair emerged victorious in the festive Christmas Day finale, defeating presenter Sam Thompson and boxing star Nicola Adams after a nail-biting series of challenges.
The BBC game show, hosted by father-son duo Bradley and Barney Walsh, sees contenders face off against the programme’s elite athletes, known as the Gladiators, in various physical feats.
Reflecting on his win, Wicks commented on the notorious travelator: "Even though I had a bit of a breather, I still found that travelator hard. It’s much harder doing it in real life than watching it on TV."
Gladiators: Celebrity Special is available to stream on BBC iPlayer (BBC/Hungry Bear Media Ltd/Graeme Hunter/PA Wire)“I’m really chuffed that I won but I have to say Sam has been an amazing partner.”
The fitness coach, 40, is best known for his online PE workouts, which became popular during the Covid-19 lockdowns, and for authoring a number of cookbooks.
Despite his defeat, Made In Chelsea star Thompson was in high spirits and, referring to himself with his self-appointed Gladiator name, told the Utilita Arena in Sheffield: “El Cockroacho, baby – you can’t stamp him out!”
In the other eliminator, Williams, who was two-hundredths of a second ahead of Adams in completing the course, said: “I honestly cannot believe it, I’ve had the best day ever.
“The crowd when I was doing so badly were so nice to me so thank you.”
Her win comes after her stint in the Australian jungle as a contestant on ITV’s I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!
Olympic gold medallist and former boxer Adams said: “I came down on the zipline and landed funny on my ankle and I just couldn’t get it going again.”
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“This is the first silver medal I’ve had!” she joked.
Adams became the first woman to win Olympic gold in her sport when she took the flyweight title at London 2012, and successfully defended her crown in Rio four years later.
In 2020, she appeared on Strictly Come Dancing, partnered with professional dancer Katya Jones as the show’s first same-sex couple.
Gladiators: Celebrity Special is available to stream on BBC iPlayer with the new series of Gladiators airing on BBC One and iPlayer early in the new year.
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