Emily Bell and Josh McDonald were crowned champions of Gladiators 2026, according to major media reports. The final will be broadcast on BBC 1 at 17:45 on Saturday, as multiple sources indicate. Emily Bell and Naomi Church were the youngest and oldest female contenders in the competition, aged 23 and 40 respectively, according to major media. According to Daily Mirror - 3am Showbiz, Emily Bell described winning on her 23rd birthday and praised Naomi Church as an inspiration, highlighting their historic age difference.
In the final events, Emily Bell gained an advantage on the balance beam and stormed up the travellator in one attempt, major media reports. Josh McDonald flew up the travellator first in the male final, according to the same sources. Josh McDonald and Tyler Spence were the male finalists in Gladiators 2026, major media states. According to Daily Mirror - 3am Showbiz, Josh McDonald described the battle as close and dedicated his win to his family. The exact scores or results of the final events have not been disclosed, and it is unknown what specific challenges beyond the travellator the contestants faced.
I just won Gladiators season three on my 23rd birthday! I could not imagine being here with a better person. We’ve made history as the oldest and youngest female contenders. What a woman, she is such an inspiration and shows that at any age, just go out and do it.
Emily Bell holds a degree from Cambridge, according to major media. According to Daily Mirror - 3am Showbiz, Emily Bell described placing her trophy next to her framed degree, reflecting on the effort involved. She also expressed gratitude at not having to tackle the travellator again and recounted memorable moments from the competition, including surviving Cyclone on duel and having the arena sing happy birthday.
Naomi Church was raised in Selly Oak and used to play hockey for England's U16s, major media reports. She now works as a business consultant and lives in Nottingham with her family, according to the same sources. Naomi Church is proud to represent Birmingham, the birthplace of the original Gladiators show, major media states. According to BBC News - England, Naomi Church described overcoming self-doubt and setting an example at her age. She also highlighted the phenomenal community of Gladiators, from on-screen athletes to behind-the-scenes staff, and shared the joy of experiencing the show with her children after watching it as a child.
We knew it was going to be a close battle and it could have gone either way. I was thinking about my mum the entire time, this win is for my family.
Several details about Gladiators 2026 remain unclear, including how many viewers watched the final and what prizes, besides the 'G' trophies, the winners received. It is also unknown whether there will be a Gladiators 2027 season and when it might air.
I don’t think I will fully comprehend for a long time what I’ve accomplished and what I’ve overcome both physically and mentally. I’m also feeling very grateful that I won’t have to do that travelator again.
Starting my experience surviving Cyclone on duel [was one], to ending it knocking off Sabre - there is simply no feeling like it. Also, having a whole arena sing me happy birthday, how many people has that happened to?
That beautiful G [trophy] is going right next to my framed Cambridge degree. It’s tough to say which one I poured more blood, sweat and tears into (one was definitely more sweat heavy and the other more tears heavy), but both represent accomplishments beyond my imagination.
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.
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.
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.