Gladiators Odds 2026: Who Will Win The BBC Series?
Gladiators' second semi-final was a battle of the reprieved players, as all four had tasted defeat at some point during the series.
In the women's contest, rugby player Emily Bell will be a tough contestant to beat, but is seen as the outsider on betting sites, after she overcame firefighter Millie Margetts in the semi-final.
Both players had lost out earlier in the competition.
Emily was defeated in the last quarter-final, but her speedy Eliminator time saw her progress to the semis.
Millie lost out in the heats, but she returned in the quarters as the fastest runner-up.
In the men's competition, fitness coach Josh McDonald has now come full circle after losing in the very first episode of the series, but he was granted a reprieve when he replaced the injured Mark Billings in the first quarter-final.
Aerospace apprentice Shaun Stephen was defeated in the fourth heat, but he returned for the quarter-finals after being the fastest runner-up in the heats.
However, Josh's impressive performance in the latest men's Eliminator means Shaun has missed out on a place in Saturday's grand final.
Gladiators 2026 Odds: Male Winner:
Contestant | Odds | Probability |
Josh McDonald | 10/11 | 52.4% |
Tyler Spence | 11/10 | 47.6% |
Comeback Kid Josh
Josh heads into the last episode as the narrow 10/11 favourite on betting apps, with rival Tyler Spence not far behind at 11/10, but Josh had it all to do in his semi-final after the events.
Shaun had a four-second head start after finishing eight points ahead of Josh - but he lost his lead almost immediately.
Shaun made an early mistake when he failed to smoothly progress across the up and overs - the first stage of the Eliminator.
It meant Josh had already caught up with him by the rope, wiping out a four-second head start.
Josh extended his lead on the overhead ladders before speeding over the balance beam and making light work of the Travelator to book himself a place in the final.
That meant Shaun followed in the footsteps of his father Murray, who also lost out in a Gladiators semi-final three decades ago.
Speaking afterwards, he said: "This has been one of the best experiences of my life, and although I didn't win today, I got to the semi-finals, and that was my initial goal coming onto the show."
Host Bradley Walsh branded Shaun an "absolute superstar."
Josh said about his Gladiators experience: "This is starting to really look like destiny, guys.
"I knew it was going to be a really tough day today. Shaun was racking up the points left, right and centre, but comeback kid is here!"
"Emily Bell extinguished firefighter Millie Margetts' chances of winning this year's Gladiators in the semis, and she will be praying for victory against Naomi Church in the final. It will be a tough ask, though, and Naomi is the right favourite."
Hopeful Emily
Both Emily and Millie are no strangers to comebacks either, but it wasn't to be for Millie this time.
Emily will head into the final as the 5/4 outsider, while her competitor, Naomi Church, is the 4/5 favourite.
However, if Emily performs as she did in last Saturday's semi-final, she will certainly take some beating.
She had a 5.5-second head start over Millie after scoring 11 points more than her fellow competitor in the events, and after a slight struggle on the rope, she extended her lead over Millie.
Gladiators 2026 Odds: Female Winner:
Contestant | Odds | Probability |
Naomi Church | 4/5 | 55.6% |
Emily Bell | 5/4 | 44.4% |
Emily made the bothersome balance beam look easy, giving herself time to take a breather before the Travelator.
At one stage, it looked like Millie would get a go at the Travelator when Emily couldn't quite cling on during her first attempt.
However, Millie's hopes were dashed when she lost her balance on the beam.
Commentator Guy Mowbray admitted the "pressure" was getting to the "really tired" pair, adding: "It's been a gruelling night up against the Gladiators."
Refund or free bet when one selection in an accumulator lets the bet down
Refund or free bet when one selection in an accumulator lets the bet down
Refund or free bet when one selection in an accumulator lets the bet down
Despite the noticeable fatigue, Emily pushed through and made it up the Travelator on her second attempt.
While Millie knew she was defeated, she was determined to complete the gruelling course as quickly as possible.
She said afterwards: "That was the best experience of my life."
Millie also told Emily to "smash it" in the final.
When asked by co-host Barney Walsh if she could win the series, Emily said: "I said at the start, 'Of course I can,' not really believing it.
"But now, surely I can, right?"
It looks set to be an incredibly competitive grand final in both the women's and men's contests.
* Reminder: These are hypothetical odds provided by industry experts.
Who do you think will win this year's series of Gladiators? Let us know in the comments box below or vote in our polls above!
