Celebrity Gladiators Odds: Joe Wicks And Nicola Adams Favourites To Triumph
Celebrity Gladiators is returning for a second instalment, with four new stars aiming to take on the show's resident elite athletes.
On New Year's Day, Joel Dommett, who was the favourite on betting sites, defeated fellow comedian Rob Beckett to win the male championship, while Ted Lasso star Ellie Taylor overcame Louise Minchin to triumph in the female category.
This year, the nation's PE Teacher, Joe Wicks, will take on presenter and I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! 2023 champion Sam Thompson, and Nicola Adams will go up against podcaster and I'm A Celebrity 2025 star Vogue Williams.
But who will be victorious?
All Rounder Joe
Joe and Sam have made it quite clear that neither star wants to face man mountain Gladiator Giant, but The Body Coach cannot wait to face the final, Gladiator-less hurdle in the competition - the dreaded Eliminator.
He said: "I think the one I want to be the strongest at is probably The Eliminator, because it's an all-round thing. You need balance, you need upper body strength, you need cardio fitness.
"A lot of the training I’ve done is high intensity, high heart rate stuff, so I think I'll be pretty good at that one."
Joe heads into Celebrity Gladiators in a strong position, quite literally, after admitting he does plenty of cross training, cycling and running, as well as "pull-ups and dips and press-ups".
Celebrity Gladiators Odds: Male Championship Outright
Contestant | Odds | Probability |
Joe Wicks | 8/11 | 57.9% |
Sam Thompson | 11/8 | 42.1% |
He is the 8/11 favourite on entertainment betting sites to defeat Sam, but admitted he was "a little bit overwhelmed" when he first stepped into the arena.
In contrast, Sam has told how the screaming crowd gave him a "powerful adrenaline rush", but his pals are concerned he might be destroyed by the Gladiators.
When asked how his friends and family reacted when he told them about being on the BBC show, he replied: "All my friends and my family thought I was going to get crushed!
"They literally said, 'Big guy, you're not so big, you're going to get absolutely hammered!', and to be honest, I needed that, because the only way is up from there, isn’t it?
"I like to go into things on a wing and a prayer, and that's what I'm going to be doing for this."
Despite that, Sam admitted his Gladiator name would be The Cockroach, because he could "survive a nuclear winter".
Whether he can survive against the Gladiators remains to be seen, but the former King of the Jungle is an 11/8 shot to take the crown from Joe.
Nicola Bringing The Pain
While Joe and Sam are hoping to avoid confrontation with Giant, boxer Nicola is up for taking on any of the female Gladiators.
Asked if there are any Gladiators she did not want to face, she said: "I'm a champion. I'm a fighter. I don't fear anybody!
"I want to take on the biggest, the baddest and the toughest Gladiator there is!"
Celebrity Gladiators Odds: Female Championship Outright
Contestant | Odds | Probability |
Nicola Adams | 4/7 | 63.6% |
Vogue Williams | 7/4 | 36.4% |
Nicola will line up against Vogue as the 4/7 favourite on betting apps to win the female championship - and Nicola is desperate to take part in The Gauntlet, because she is "quite strong and very agile" on her feet.
She said: "I'm hoping these attributes are going to give me a few favours there, using my boxing skills and being able to move around fast.
"I feel like I have the attributes of all the Gladiators rolled into one.
"So I'd be bringing the fire, the pain and the fury to the competition"
Vogue The Snail
While Vogue is the 7/4 outsider of the two, she is certainly no slouch.
The model and DJ is a big fan of "working out and going for runs", but admitted she isn't "Gladiator fit".
Asked if she did any specific training to prepare, she said: "I really didn't have any time to train specifically, but I thought that I was fit and I should be OK, but the whole thing is intensive."
Vogue also admitted she has "terrible upper body strength", and while she felt "overwhelmed" when she first entered the arena, the star admitted the supportive crowd made a positive difference.
The presenter would call herself The Snail if she were a Gladiator, because she is "not fast", but is "resilient".
If Nicola comes out fighting, Vogue will have a tough job on her hands.
* Reminder: These are hypothetical odds provided by industry experts.
Who do you think will win this year's Celebrity Gladiators? Let us know in the comments below!
