Getting to Gladiators final is 'just phenomenal'

A Gladiators contestant who is set to take on the final of the show has revealed to BBC Radio WM that it has given her confidence a boost.

Aged 40, Naomi Church is the oldest of the finalists. She said: "I didn't realise I doubted myself so much. I've still got it in me to achieve.

"I'm not too old to go out there and achieve something new, and just set an example."

She added that getting into the final of Gladiators 2026 was "unexpected" but she's "proud of myself for getting to this point".

Church said she is proud to represent Birmingham, the birthplace of the original show.

She was raised in Selly Oak and used to play hockey for England's U16s but now works as a business consultant and lives in Nottingham with her family.

"It's just phenomenal, having watched the series as a child with my parents and now reliving that, being able to do it with my children is unbelievable," Church said.

The final will be shown on BBC 1 at 17:45 on Saturday, and the contestants will face off against the Gladiators one more time before taking on the iconic Eliminator.

"The community [at] gladiators is phenomenal from the guys that you see on the TV to the people behind the scenes, they really take care of you.

"Gladiators themselves are all really positive, but they are competitive athletes, and the standard is very high, which I can respect," she added.

To celebrate her achievement of reaching the final, the Brummie-born athlete plans a small family gathering.

"Its probably been emotional and hard for them seeing their mum win and lose some events but they've built resilience over time.

"They're excited and proud of me but I'm actually proud of them too, we've done this whole thing together," she said.

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