Emily Bell from London and Josh McDonald from Glasgow have been crowned the winners of Gladiators 2026 after an exciting Grand Final. The pair triumphed after eleven weeks of intense challenges, including being pursued by metal spheres, enduring hits in Powerball, being pushed over The Edge, and sprinting up The Wall.
In the female final, Emily Bell faced Naomi Church, the youngest and oldest contenders in the competition respectively. The final was neck and neck until Emily took the lead on the balance beam, successfully climbed the travelator on her first attempt, and charged off the final podium to win. Speaking to host Bradley Walsh, Emily said: 'Unforgettable. I just won Gladiators season three on my 23rd birthday! We’ve made history as the oldest and youngest female contenders.'
The male final saw Josh McDonald and Tyler Spence compete in one of the most dramatic Eliminators ever. The pair tackled the travelator side by side, but Josh flew up first to victory. He told host Barney Walsh: 'We knew it was going to be a close battle... I was thinking about my mum the entire time, this win is for my family.'
Reflecting on her win, Emily said: 'I don’t think I will fully comprehend for a long time what I’ve accomplished... I’m also feeling very grateful that I won’t have to do that travelator again!' She added that the experience has taught her to 'back herself' more. Josh said: 'I have learnt to never back up and never back down... I learned that I was able to deal with these situations, pick myself back up and focus on the next challenge ahead.'
