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A leg injury has forced a Gladiators contestant out of the competition after they made it all the way to the final.
Zavia Hill, a personal trainer from Manchester, was hit during one of the games on the BBC One show’s semi-final, and at first it seemed like she would continue.
She was treated by a physiotherapist backstage and made it to the final leg, an assault course called The Eliminator, taking home the win, but later had to withdraw.
Her place will be taken by the fastest female runner-up from the semi-finals, Aneila Afsar, a supply teacher also from Manchester, who has broken barriers as the ‘first Muslim woman on the show’.
Zavia said: ‘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.’
She also said that during the Gauntlet game, where Gladiators try to prevent contenders passing with the aide of power-pads, she ‘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,’ Zavia added.
‘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.’
She also said that she felt ‘like a butterfly with newfound confidence’ after being in the arena, and urged Aneila to do ‘Manchester proud’.
Aneila said reaching the final was ‘bittersweet’, and added: ‘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.’
She also called Zavia ‘an incredible contender and an even better person’, adding: ‘It’s an honour to represent her and I’ll actually be wearing some of her gems in the final.’
Aneila said: ‘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.’
She will face Warrington gym owner Amanda Wah, as Scarborough-born gymnastics coach Joe Fishburn and east London youth worker Mus Dumbuya also go head-to-head in the men’s final.
Who won Gladiators 2024?
Finlay Anderson and Marie-Louise Nicholson were crowned Gladiators champions after a tense final showdown in March last year.
The duo went up against finalists Wesley Male and Bronte Jones for one last time – but after 11 weeks of gruelling challenges, they were the ones who emerged victorious.
To reach the final, the contenders had to battle against the show’s 16 Gladiators in games testing strength, speed and dexterity that continue to be family favourites from previous versions of the programme.
The BBC revived Gladiators last year, with a new batch of athletes following in the footsteps of icons Wolf, Jet, Hunter and Lightening.
Originally running from 1992 to 2000, Gladiators was hosted by Ulrika Jonsson on ITV, and now sees father-son duo Bradley and Barney Walsh at the helm.
Gladiators: Grand Final is on April 12 at 5.50pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
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