Gladiators winners crowned after nail-biting 2025 final with record-breaking speeds
Congratulations to our two winners!
The champions of Gladiators 2025 have been crowned after a nail-biting final.
Having gone up against the likes of Fury, Diamond, Sabre and Steel, two contenders emerged victorious.
After taking on 32-year-old youth worker Mus Dumbuya, Joe Fishburn won the male final, while Amanda Wah beat 26-year-old supply teacher Aneila Afsar.
For the past eleven weeks, they’d been chased around the arena in giant metal balls, faced fierce tackles, been pushed over The Edge and raced up The Wall, but they’re now basking in their glory.
Gym owner Amanda, 35, went into the Eliminator 1.5 seconds behind Aneila but quickly managed to catch her up on the rope climb and power her way to the top of the travellator.
She completed the course in a record breaking time of 1.18 for the series.
Joe Fishburn and Amanda Wah have walked away as winners (Picture: BBC/Hungry Bear Media) Mus Dumbuya was up against Joe with Aneila Asfar against Amanda (Picture: BBC/Hungry Bear Media)Dedicating the win to her late mum, she lifted the trophy and told host Bradley Walsh: ‘That one’s for you mum. This has been the best experience of my life, unbelievable.’
Speaking after the win, she added: ‘I can’t believe it, this is a dream come true having watched Gladiators as a kid, aspiring to be someone as good as them, and now here I am. I started off in my living room last January saying I could take on the Gladiators, thinking how easy it looked.
‘Fast-forward and I’m here living the dream and it didn’t finish until I lifted that trophy.
‘During filming I just kept thinking to myself “You’ve peaked. Life is never going to get any better or more exciting than this!”
Amanda completed the course in a record breaking time of 1.18 for the series (Picture: BBC / Graeme Hunter / © Hungry Bear Media Ltd)‘I’ve just been trying to soak up every second. Even though I was exhausted after every day at the arena, I journaled everything in the hotel at night so I didn’t forget any of the amazing details… As a life experience, it’s going to be tough to beat!’
Gymnastics coach Joe, 23, had a six second head start on Mus as they went into the Eliminator, and flew up the travellator to set a new Eliminator record of 0.55.
Dedicating his win to his grandmother, he told Bradley: ‘I have absolutely no words, I just want to say I couldn’t be happier to do this with someone like Mus, it means the world to me and Christine, this amazing woman brought me up from the age of 2 when unfortunately I lost my mum.
‘I never had a father figure present and she’s done everything for me, I hope you’re proud.’
Joe set a new Eliminator record of 0.55 (Picture: BBC / Graeme Hunter / © Hungry Bear Media Ltd)He later added: ‘I don’t quite have the words to describe it. This is definitely the best thing I’ve ever done.
‘Winning this just means the absolute world. We were in an amazing final, and I felt like I already won coming into this process but obviously it’s always nice to complete the whole thing and take the win.
‘Mus is an amazing opponent, contender, friend, everything he does
is so amazing and it was an honour to be in the final with him.’
‘That trophy is going in a very very special place, it’s going on my grandmother Christine’s mantelpiece,’ he added.
Joe called it ‘an honour’ to be in the final with Mus (Picture: BBC / Graeme Hunter / © Hungry Bear Media Ltd)Joe had previously revealed how a friend of his had been a contender on the second season of the original Gladiators in the 90s, and encouraged him to apply for the BBC revival.
He had initially applied to be a Gladiator before taking a spot as a contender, but when asked by Metro if he’d return and join the likes of Apollo and Cyclone, he and Amanda agreed they’d do it in a heartbeat.
Who won Gladiators 2024? Finlay Anderson and Marie-Louise Nicholson won Gladiators last year (Picture: BBC/James Stack/Hungry Bear Media Ltd/PA Wire)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 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 superhuman 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 is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
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