Nicola Adams: 'I have always wanted to go on Gladiators and I got my chance'

Filmed in the Sheffield Arena and hosted by Bradley and Barney Walsh, this one hour show sees the nation's PE Teacher Joe Wicks face presenter Sam Thompson and Leeds boxing legend Nicola Adams go up against podcaster Vogue Williams for the chance to be crowned Celebrity Champion.

Nicola, why did you want to take part in Celebrity Gladiators?

I wanted to take on a new challenge. Also, I've watched Gladiators since I was a kid, and I always wanted to go on the show. Now I've got my chance to be on it, so it was a yes straight away.

How did you feel when you first walked out into the arena?

It was unreal. The energy of the crowd was amazing, especially with all the kids cheering. It was awesome. It's very, very unique but gave me the feeling of when I used to box and go out into a crowded arena with everybody cheering. Gladiators has all that same energy, except there's way more glitz and glamour.

How was the reaction of the people in the arena been through the day?

It was been amazing, everybody gave me so much support. I had got a lot of family out there as well, supporting me with all their banners, it was just an awesome day. I enjoyed every minute of it.

Are there any Gladiators you didn’t want to face?

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.

What would your Gladiator name be?

Blaze. 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.

Joe, why did you want to take part in Celebrity Gladiators?

Being a kid in the 90s means I have so many memories of Gladiators, so I wouldn't want to miss this chance because it was such an iconic show for me growing up. I have all these memories of watching the Gladiators thinking I'd love to be like that one day, so I couldn’t say no.

Gladiators was one of the first times I saw physically strong people on TV and they were role models and were so inspiring when was a kid. So I thought to do it myself and to be able to inspire other kids would be really epic.

Are your kids into the series?

My oldest daughter has just turned seven, and my little boy is five. They are very into their sport and they're very active and I just think anything that gets kids excited about moving and fitness is really positive. I think for them to see people really training and being dedicated and focussed, that’s a really positive thing.

What would your Gladiator name be? And why?

My Gladiator name is basically named after my new animated workout series for kids and would be Activate because I am all about getting kids moving and getting people just energised. Because you know what, we forget how much exercise changes how we feel - it's not just about the body, it's the mind. It's about giving kids and parents a chance to move and be active and just feel the benefits.

When I was five years old, I knew that when I ran and did anything sporty I could walk into my really stressful and chaotic home life and I could deal with it because I could move and I could change how I feel and no one could take that away from me. Exercise was my therapy and it really changed the direction of my life. Exercise really did that.

The Gladiators: Celebrity Special is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.