EVER watched The Gladiators and fancied taking on the events yourself?
I went along to the opening of the Gladiators Experience at Birmingham’s NEC to do exactly that.
The latest immersive TV experience allows you to take on some of the show’s iconic challenges – The Wall, Unleash, Hang Tough, Duel and of course the legendary Eliminator.
TIMES: Leaderboards are displayed around the arena, even if success can be shortlived (Image: NQ)
The difference is that you aren’t actually taking on the Gladiators themselves when competing, and there are family-friendly versions of the events so even younger fans can take part.
My children are massive fans of the show, as I was back in the 90s, so this made for an ideal night out.
We were lucky enough to enjoy the VIP opening night of the Gladiators Experience so got to meet a lot of the stars of the show, who were making their way around the arena and happy to stop for chats and selfies.
STRIKE A POSE: Diamond was among the Gladiators happy to pose for pictures (Image: NQ)
Meet and greets with Gladiators from both the current and the original series are available on selected dates throughout the experience’s run at the NEC.
After checking in and getting our all-important safety gear, we warmed up and were ready to get stuck in.
We had a go at all of the events, including the Junior Eliminator which was fun to do together.
My favourite was probably The Wall, where I (briefly) managed to get on the leaderboard for the evening.
You get 75 minutes to get around the arena from the moment you scan into your first event, using the wristband provided.
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When you’re done you can check out items from the show’s history in the Archive and pose for pictures with props from the set in the Vault.
You can even get trading cards made up with your picture and choose your own Gladiator name.
The Gladiators Experience runs until August 31 at the NEC.
The upcoming Gladiators Live Tour kicks off in Aberdeen at the P&J Live Arena on October 10, before heading to Glasgow (OVO Hydro), London (OVO Arena Wembley), Manchester (AO Arena), Newcastle (Utilita Arena), Liverpool (M&S Bank Arena), and Birmingham (BP Pulse Live).
