On This Day: Scarborough gym coach wins Gladiators final

Joe Fishburn from Scarborough, alongside Amanda Wah, a gym owner from Warrington, triumphed in the final of the competition broadcast on April 12 on BBC One.

Joe paid tribute to his grandmother, Christine, who had raised him after his mother died when he was two years old.

He said: “I never had a father figure present, and she’s done everything for me.

“I hope you’re proud.”

Fishburn had a six-second head start on his fellow finalist, East London youth worker Mus Dumbuya, as they entered the Eliminator.

The coach set a new Eliminator record by finishing the course in 0.55 seconds, according to the programme.

Fishburn mentioned he would place the trophy on his “grandmother Christine’s mantelpiece” and described the experience as “definitely the best thing I’ve ever done”.

He said: “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.”

He told co-host Barney Walsh: “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 two when, unfortunately, I lost my mum.

“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.”

In the women’s competition, Aneila Afsar, a supply teacher from Manchester, had the upper hand in the final Eliminator battle, having earned a 1.5-second head start from their previous events, but was ultimately beaten to the finish line by Wah.

Cheering for Wah were her girlfriend, two children, friends, and family, while Fishburn was supported by Roddy Mackay, a contender from 1993, and his family.

Gladiators was revived in 2024 on the BBC, with army officer Finlay Anderson and personal trainer Marie-Louise Nicholson having been crowned champions.

The show originally aired on ITV for eight years until 2000 before being cancelled and briefly returned on Sky from 2008 to 2009.

This story was originally published in the York Press on April 12, 2025.