“Gladiators”, the new sports game from TF1 arrives this Friday with several representatives from Var and Alpes-Maritimes

For the holidays, TF1 has decided to focus on a new family and sporting entertainment: “Gladiators, who will dare to challenge them?”. A game launched in 1989 in the USA and adapted in many countries, notably in England where the 2024 version was a huge success. The concept is simple and mixes, a little, “Ninja Warriors”, “Ultime Beastmaster” and “Floor is lava”. Challengers, men and women, from all over France, aged 21 to 47 and from all professions, will challenge sixteen Gladiators, eight women and eight men, formidable athletes who represent the embodiment of strength and endurance.

In each episode, eight challengers – four men and four women – will compete remotely by measuring themselves against the Gladiators in four XXL games, both physical and demanding. These spectacular games will test their power, agility, skill and courage. The challengers will do their best to score the most points in order to gain an advantage during the final event called the Eliminator, a course calling on all the abilities previously demonstrated. The best challengers qualify for the grand final, at the end of which a challenger and a challenger will win the prestigious golden helmet, a symbol of the eternal respect of the Gladiators and will share the sum of 50,000 euros. An evening hosted by the trio Jean-Pierre Foucault, Denis Brogniart and Hélène Mannarino. The latter reveals to us the contours of this new meeting.

How would you define this new game?

It’s an exceptional, unique, unexpected show. We took possession of an ice rink to set up an XXL game board. You will be amazed. There will be candidates, often very athletic, who will surpass themselves to challenge modern gladiators.

What will the tests be?

There will be a climbing wall, a battle with padded clubs, an acrobatics test, a test of speed, agility, a test of strength. In each event, the challengers must save time for the last event before the final: the Eliminator. Each candidate plays for himself. It's an evening for the family, with touching stories because each challenger has their personal reasons for embarking on such an adventure. We promote the values ​​of sport, of surpassing oneself, everyone will push their limits. It's a unique show in France, very popular in the USA and England.

There are three of you at the presentation, how will you distribute the roles?

With Jean-Pierre, we listen to challengers and share. Our duo happened naturally. He is very into humor and I am more into testimony. Denis was more on the sports side. It’s a complementary trio.

Is this the big return of games on TF1 which, apart from ''Ninja Warrior'', rarely uses this theme?

There are already a lot of shows in the broad sense in addition to ''Ninja Warrior'': ''Dancing with the Stars'', ''Star Academy'', ''The Voice'', even the ''NRJ Music Awards '', the show and spectacle side is often there on TF1. There, we are in something different, it is a mix between spectacle, sport, competition. The goal is to attract the public to set up the meeting.

How did you prepare for this evening?

I watched the English version but also several documentaries on Netflix about the game. I wanted to know where I was going.

What challenges did you fear?

I'm dizzy, so the test where the candidates are in the air and they have to go from point A to point B while a gladiator is in front of them, I was paralyzed… The wall There's something impressive about climbing too, it looks like Yamakasi.

What advantage do the challengers have to go to the end?

The mind, the motivation. Some came with their loved ones, they all have a unique story. You have to be basically sporty or at least have a great appetite for sport, but it's the mind that allows you to surpass yourself.

“Gladiators, who will dare to challenge them?”, this Friday at 9:10 p.m., on TF1.