BBC Gladiators reboot 'sounded the death knell' for huge ITV primetime show

The success of the BBC's Gladiators reboot 'sounded the death knell' for a similar ITV series. Ninja Warrior has now been taken off air 'for good' after its rival proved to be an 'absolute ratings champion'.

Gladiators was originally a hit back in the nineties, when it was hosted by Ulrika Jonsson and John Fashanu. It was cancelled in 2000 but revived earlier this year, with father-son duo Bradley and Barney Walsh at the helm.

It proved a hit with viewers, pulling in more than six million viewers. But with its popularity, came the demise of another hit show, The Sun reports.

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A source told the publication: “For years Ninja Warrior was one of ITV’s biggest shows and scooped up all those families who missed Gladiators. Ben Shephard, Rochelle Humes, and Kammy made the series a big success.

"But when the BBC revived Gladiators last year, it sounded the death knell for ITV’s ninjas. It was an absolute ratings champion, pulling in over six million viewers versus 1.6 million for Ninja Warrior’s last series in 2022. A decision was therefore taken to rest Ninja Warrior for good.”

A second series of Gladiators will return to the BBC early next year. The BBC's head of entertainment Kalpna Patel-Knight said: "Gladiators has really kicked this year off with a bang, and we're so delighted that the fans have come to the show in their masses. It has been wonderful to hear how much families have loved watching this together, as part of the BBC's Saturday evening entertainment offering. We can't wait for more action from the Gladiators."