Gladiators: Doncaster man defies injury as TV classic returns to our screens

22-year-old Finley Burkitt was one of two male contenders appearing on Saturday’s edition of the rebooted show which sees members of the public taking on superfit athletes and muscle men in a series of gruelling games.

WARNING: STORY CONTAINS SPOILERS

And the Doncaster man bagged himself a place in the quarter finals of the BBC One show – despite suffering a painful knee injury during the contest at Sheffield’s Utilita Arena which left his chances hanging in the balance.

During the Gauntlet game, which sees contenders attempt to battle their way past a string of Gladiators, Finley suffered a twisted knee and was forced to go backstage for urgent treatment.

But he later bounced back to claim a stunning victory in the final Eliminator game, seeing off fellow Yorkshireman Myles Harris, a 32-year-old IT engineer from Leeds.

After his win, rail trackman Finley told hosts Bradley and Barney Walsh: “I’m glad I’ve pushed through. It weren’t looking good back there.

"It’s overwhelming but I wanted to put on a show for everyone here and everyone watching at home.”

The show, which was filmed last year, is an updated version of the 1990s ITV programme, which sees both men and women take on the Gladiators in games such as Duel, Hang Tough and Gauntlet.

Ahead of the contest he said: “This is the perfect show. It doesn’t matter how big you are or how strong you are, as long as you give it everything you’ve got.”

Finley’s first challenge was the iconic Duel game where he went head to head with Nitro in the classic game where opponents batter each with pugel sticks.

Cheered on by his family, he was sent tumbling and afterwards said: “I thought it was the bigger they are, the harder they fall, but the bigger they are, the harder they hit!”

In his next game, Collision, he was wrestled to the floor from an unstable bridge by Gladiator Viper, who was disqualifed from the contest for his antics.

And it looked like Gauntlet would be the end of his appearance on the show, pulling up and clearly in pain as referees and Gladiators came to his assistance.

With a disconsolate Finley walking away as the crowd chanted his name, he told viewers: “I’ve twisted a knee. I felt something go.

"This is not the end, this won’t be the last time you see me. I’ll go and recover and see what else I can give.”

And Finley, who trains in his uncle’s home gym was true to his word, fighting back to take part in Hang Tough against Legend.

With host Bradley Walsh describing him as a “true lion,” Finley won huge cheers, despite being dropped to the floor in the game which sees contestants swing on rings across the arena.

He said: “No matter how many times I get knocked down, I’ll always get back up.”

And despite his opponent taking a 2.5 second lead into the final Eliminator game, Finley produced a stunning display to overtake his opponent and secure a quarter final place, which will be shown later in the series.

You can watch Saturday’s episode on BBC iPlayer HERE