The long-awaited final of Gladiators is set to hit screens, with four contenders battling it out to become champion.
While the return of the iconic reality show has no doubt been a hit for the BBC, it hasn’t been short of drama, with one contestant forced to pull out during last week’s semi-final.
Chung was forced to withdraw from the competition after injuring his knee during the powerball, leaving viewers devastated.
And this is far from the first injury to beset the famous show, with some stars previously left fighting for their lives following various falls and attacks.
So, as Gladiators fans count down to Saturday’s final, takes a look-back at the show’s worst injuries…
Contestant Chung
While competing in the men’s power ball challenge last week, Chung picked up a nasty knee injury while going head-to-head with Apollo
During the challenge, a tackle by Apollo resulted in Chung injuring his left knee, with host Bradley Walsh later announcing he’d been forced to withdraw from the competition
While competing in the men’s power ball challenge last week, Chung picked up a nasty knee injury while going head-to-head with Apollo.
During the challenge, a tackle by Apollo resulted in Chung injuring his left knee, with host Bradley Walsh later announcing he’d been forced to withdraw from the competition.
He told the audience: ‘Now, earlier, we had to suspend the men’s powerball game when Chung sadly was injured. After consultations with the medical team, the decision has been made that he can no longer continue in the competition.’
‘He’s doing okay and is receiving the best medical care!’ before announcing that another contestant, Matt, would be taking his place.
Returning to the arena with his leg in a brace, Chung said: ‘Yeah, I’m disappointed to not be able to finish this race but the support I’ve had from the crowd has been incredible and it’s really helped me get through it. So thank you to you guys!’
Ella-Mae Rayner/Comet
Ella-Mae Rayner, a former gymnast and cheerleader, also known as Comet, ruptured three ligaments and broke her ankle and foot during the games
Even before the Gladiators reboot hit screens, one of its stars, Comedy, had already been forced off the show.
Comet, whose real name Ella-Mae Rayner, was climbing a 30-foot high wall when she fell – breaking her ankle and foot and rupturing three ligaments in her leg.
The cheerleader and gymnast, 28, was treated at the Sheffield’s Utilia Arena, where Gladiators was filmed, before she was sent to hospital and operated on.
Ella-Mae’s fall, which occurred in June 2023, will not be aired and it is not yet known if she will appear in future episodes this series.
Ella-Mae is currently undergoing physiotherapy for her shattered heel and has already had surgery performed on her.
Speaking to The Sun, Ella-Mae said: ‘It just goes to show that we aren’t acting. This isn’t WWE, this is one of the toughest shows on TV.
‘The injury was really, really tough but I had the team around me and everyone was amazing. I couldn’t have asked for a better medical team.’
Her injuries were deemed too nasty to show on air, and lla-Mae is currently undergoing physiotherapy for her shattered heel after receiving surgery
She continued: ‘I am nearly [recovered] but it is always going to be an injury I know about. But it is not going to stop me doing what I want to do. You are going face to face and it is contact, so injuries are part and parcel of it. Comet is here to stay.’
Not long after her accident, Ella-Mae, who wasn’t the only Gladiator to suffer an injury during filming, took to Instagram and wrote:
‘Life is not about how hard you hit, it’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving – right now, this quote couldn’t ring truer.
‘During the filming of one of the games I sustained a severe foot injury.
‘Multiple scans and X-rays later I found out that I had broken my ankle and foot in multiple places, including the talus and something known as a lisfranc injury, ruptured 3 ligaments and dislocated a bone.
‘I am now resting up following an operation to fix my foot and stabilise the broken bones. This is just a minor blip in the road and ignites the fire in me to come back better and stronger than ever before. ‘
Contestant Finley Burkitt
Feisty contestant Finley Burkitt, from Doncaster, South Yorkshire put on an exciting show for fans during the launch show in January
The show was thrown into turmoil when Finley experienced a serious knee injury that prompted urgent medical attention, causing a shocking halt to the show
After making it through to the next round, Finley then reflected on the moment as he claimed he had never experienced anything like it, saying: ‘It was a pinch me moment’
Feisty contestant Finley Burkitt, from Doncaster, South Yorkshire put on an exciting show for fans during the launch show in January.
During the show, viewers saw contestant Finley, 22, battle it out with the Gladiators as he overcome various obstacles with ease.
However, the show was quickly thrown into turmoil when Finley experienced a serious knee injury that prompted urgent medical attention, causing a shocking halt to the show.
Right before the incident, Finley could be seen taking on the Gauntlet challenge, which showed participants having to navigate through four zones guarded by Gladiators within a 30-second time frame.
And despite initially appearing confident, Finley suffered from a terrifying knee injury as he tried to sweep past Viper, Phantom, Steel, and Apollo.
However, it wasn’t the last fans saw of Finley, as he made a shocking recovery and sailed through to the quarter-finals after completing the final challenge.
After making it through to the next round, Finley then reflected on the moment as he claimed he had never experienced anything like it.
He said ‘It was a pinch me moment, I’ve never experienced anything like that before.
‘I wanted to go out and just put on a show for everyone, I’m not normally like that.
‘I’m quite reserved – but as soon as I went out there, there was just a switch and I went into Gladiators mode’ He added.
He also recalled his shock injury and claimed that the Gladiators, who appear tough on screen, were all very supportive behind the scenes.
‘All I remember was I was pushed back a bit by Phantom, and then I just felt pain,’ he explained.
He continued to talk about how supportive Phantom was, adding: ‘He was there, coming to console me and telling me what a good job I’d done, so I really respect him for that.’
Michael Ahearne/Warrior
During Gladiators’ original run, one of its most shocking injuries came when Michael Ahearne, aka Warrior (pictured), disclocated his knee
Michael broke his leg while pivoting and feels that his ongoing health issues may have something to do with his appearance on the show
During Gladiators’ original run, one of its most shocking injuries came when Michael Ahearne, aka Warrior, disclocated his knee.
He first thought he broke his leg while he was pivoting but a physio explained Michael had exerted so much force through the kneecap that it caused permanent internal damage.
He previously said: ‘I was in tremendous pain when the accident occurred… I turned around and my knee stayed behind me.
‘I thought I broke my leg at first when I heard the noise and I realised it was my knee that had dislocated. I have had an accident like this before… it makes people realise what a tough game it is.’
Physio Mike Garmston said the accident was caused by the ‘tremendous force’ he exerted through the kneecap and said it ‘actually ripped out the poly-mechanism of the knee’.
He added: ‘It’s a little bit like a train sitting on the track and the knee cap has been pulled off its track with tremendous and there was considerable damage in the inside part of the knee.’
Michael Wilson, now 63, left the show in 2000 but was left scarred with the toll the show took on his physical health.
While on the show, he also revealed that he’d battled a fractured hip and lots of spinal injuries.
Michael, who started the show aged 29, has biceps that are now ruptured and shoulders are in need of replacement and even had to be put on oxygen tanks after a near death experience with pneumonia.
Diane Youdale/Jet
Diane Youdale, aka Jet, was a sex symbol back in the 1990s, but she once suffered a horrific, almost deadly fall back in 1996 while competing on the show
Diane was shown in absolute agony while she suffered life-threatening injuries during the Pyramid game – her neck had broken so badly she compressed her spinal cord
The deadly pyramid segment which saw Diane viciously tackle her opponent
Brunette beauty Diane Youdale, 53, opened up about the horrific, almost deadly fall she suffered back in 1996 in the old Wembley stadium.
During the Pyramid game segment, Diane was forced to wrestle a contender who tried to run past her on top of the pyramid and essentially rugby tackled her.
She told The Sun she had ‘heard that [same] snap before’ when she had ‘broken ligaments and bones’.
Her neck had broken so badly she compressed her spinal cord and was told had she not been so flexible, the injury would have cost her her life.
Diane left the show immediately after and producers even axed the pyramid segment, deeming it too unsafe.
Helen O’Reilly/Panther
Helen O’Reilly suffered severe neck and back injuries while competing in the Tilt challenge, and retired from the show after taking five months to recover
The ghastly Tilt game almost cost two contestants their lives
Helen O’Reilly, now 62, also had a disastrous fall, during the Tilt event aired in 1994.
The cast played a dangerous game of tug of war and Helen landed with such force onto the crashmat that her legs went over her skull.
She told The Sun in 1996: ‘It was the most terrifying experience of my life. I thought I was going to die.’
Panther was taken away to hospital in a stretcher, and she was found to have severe back and neck injuries.
While Helen did recover, she decided to retire in 1996, and later said she had ‘no memory at all’ of the injury.
Judy Simpson/Nightshade
Judy ‘Nightshade’ Simpson suffered from a bad fall in 1995, where she had to be taken to hospital on a stretcher
While Panther’s injury proved to be severe, it took another Gladiator suffering a similar injury for producers to finally terminate the event.
Judy ‘Nightshade’ Simpson, now 63, also suffered from a bad fall in 1995, where she had to be taken to hospital on a stretcher.
After her opponent’s rope loosened she fell backwards off the platform and Judy was left struggling on the ground, writhing in agony.
Before Judy was wheeled away, commentator Guy Mowbray said: ‘She looks to be in a bad way… This does not look good for Nightshade.’
Sharron Davies/Amazon
Sharron Davies, now 61, came to the show with existing ligament injuries she got aged 11, and after aggravating her damage on the show, she was forced to withdraw
Sharron Davies, now 61, came to the show with existing ligament injuries she got aged 11 from trapping her feet in a pothole that only got worse on-screen.
The injury healed enough for her to pursue a competitive career as a professional swimmer, but her short stint on the show came to an end in 1995.
She recalled: ‘One of the contenders fell really awkwardly on my leg and whatever was left of my ligament then snapped.
‘I’ve since had nine operations on my knee because the cartilage was so badly damaged and has had so much trauma.’
In 2012, Sharron was using a knee brace to avoid to avoid a recommended hip replacement.