PE teacher through to Gladiators quarter-final

Making it through to the quarter-finals of popular BBC TV show Gladiators has been "the best experience I've ever had in my life", a PE teacher from Essex said.

Mark Billings, 38, from the FitzWimarc School in Rayleigh, appeared as one of the contenders on Saturday, taking on the might of the lycra-clad muscle men and women.

He even triumphed over the aptly-named Giant in the new Everest task — a head-to-head battle of pushing power.

Billings said he hoped his appearance would show his students and others that hard work and determination could pay off.

Speaking to BBC Essex's Sonia Watson following the show's airing, Billings said it was an "amazing experience" seeing his own performance for the first time, which he watched with family and friends in the school hall on Saturday evening, when the show was broadcast on BBC One and the BBC iPlayer.

He said the 1,800-strong comprehensive and "whole community just got behind me and it's been the best experience I've ever had in my life".

Asked what spurred him on to apply to the show, he said "a big part" of it was to show students who might be "struggling with pressures of life, and scared to do things" that there are sometimes ways through the "difficult and tough" times.

"I just wanted to show them that even in shows like this, where I was extremely nervous and worried and scared to do it, sometimes you've just got to put yourself forward and just give it your best," he said.

"That can get you a long way in life."

However, he admitted: "It didn't start too well for me on Duel with Phantom, but you just have to pick yourself up, dust yourself off and keep going."

In the brand new Everest battle he was up against the largest Gladiator - Giant.

In this event, both competitors are positioned on a platform high above the ground, on either side of a see-through barrier, which they have to push to the other end.

The trial of strength is heightened as the platform tilts in favour of the contender, and then the other way.

"When I found out I was up against Giant, obviously I was extremely scared but it's always nice to come up against the best," said Billings.

He triumphed as the platform tilted and Giant was pushed to the end and fell to the ground.

"I was totally spent by the end of it," said the victor.

As for the Travelator, which comes at the end of the various contests, it was "ridiculously steep", he said.

Billings received a surprise message of support via BBC Essex from Colchester United Football Club's head coach Danny Cowley, who was a former PE teacher at the FitzWimarc School.

He said Billings was "a Gladiator as far as I'm concerned, and we're all cheering him on".

Referring to his performance on Saturday, Billings added: "I think it's important that I showed the students, and show people that if you really, really do work hard - and there are going to be times in life when things are very difficult - you've just got to push on.

"And I'm a huge believer that those who work hard and give it everything, you will be rewarded for it."

Gladiators first aired on ITV in October 1992, running for eight series, making Gladiators including Wolf, Jet, and Rhino household names.

The show had a brief stint on Sky in the 2000s before being revived by the BBC in 2024, where it is currently in its third series.

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