The winners of the highly anticipated 2025 Celebrity Gladiators festive special have been revealed after a gripping finale that aired on Christmas Day. Fitness coach Joe Wicks and TV presenter Vogue Williams emerged victorious, overcoming both the professional Gladiators and the show's infamous challenges to claim their titles.
A Festive Battle in the Arena
The special episode, a revival of the classic sports entertainment format, saw a roster of celebrities go head-to-head with the show's resident elite athletes. The stars were tasked with racing through demanding obstacle courses, with the daunting final challenge, the Travelator, proving a decisive test. In the end, the competition narrowed to two final pairs: Joe Wicks alongside Made in Chelsea's Sam Thompson, and Vogue Williams paired with Olympic boxing champion Nicola Adams.
Despite his obvious athletic background, Joe Wicks, 40, confessed the physical toll was immense. "Even though I had a bit of a breather, I still found that travelator hard," he admitted after his win. "It's much harder doing it in real life than watching it on TV. I'm really chuffed that I won but I have to say Sam has been an amazing partner." His teammate Sam Thompson remained gracious in defeat, joking about his self-styled Gladiator persona, "El Cockroacho, baby - you can't stamp him out!"
Photo-Finish Victory for Vogue Williams
The women's final provided edge-of-the-seat drama, with Vogue Williams securing her win by a razor-thin margin. She finished just two-hundredths of a second ahead of Nicola Adams in a breathtaking climax. An elated Vogue told the crowd at Sheffield's Utilita Arena, "I honestly cannot believe it, I've had the best day ever. The crowd when I was doing so badly were so nice to me so thank you."
Nicola Adams, the first woman to win Olympic boxing gold at London 2012, cited a mishap for her narrow loss. "I came down on the zipline and landed funny on my ankle and I just couldn't get it going again," she explained. "This is the first silver medal I've had!" The Olympian is no stranger to making TV history, having previously been part of Strictly Come Dancing's first same-sex couple with professional dancer Katya Jones.
From the Jungle to the Arena
Vogue Williams's Gladiators triumph comes hot on the heels of another major TV appearance. She was recently a contestant on the 2025 season of I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! in the Australian jungle. Her husband, former Made In Chelsea star Spencer Matthews, was notably absent when she exited the show, as he was undertaking an expedition in Antarctica.
Spencer later took to social media to praise his wife, posting, "Disappointed to hear that my gorgeous Vogue is out of I’m A Celeb but I’m so proud of the brave stint she did in there." He added, "I would have loved nothing more than to have been there for her when she came out and am sending so much love from Antarctica." The couple, who married in 2018 and share three children, are set to be reunited following their separate adventures.
The 2025 Celebrity Gladiators special delivered festive action, surprise upsets, and worthy champions, proving the revived show's enduring appeal for Christmas television audiences.
