Those who tuned into BBC’s reboot of Gladiators on Saturday will have seen that there was a West Fife contender on the show.
Dog-walker Kerry Wilson, 34, from Oakley, became one of the show's first winners since it was rebooted and has now secured her place in the quarter finals.
It was Kerry’s wife Amber that signed her up to the show, which was obviously a big surprise for her at the time.
Kerry revealed: “I literally didn’t have a clue. Amber had seen that applications were open, told me and I laughed at her. Next thing I know I got the call from the BBC. I didn’t know what to say I was in shock.
“They even said to me to be a bit more excited the next time they saw me because I was just that much in shock! I just had to wrap my head round it.”
Kerry no doubt had much of Fife, and Scotland, rooting for her on Saturday, which hadn’t occurred to her would be the case at the time.
Kerry explained: “I had never thought of it like this at the time but following on from Saturday it’s clear that I’m representing Scotland!
"The feedback and support from the whole country has been crazy. Everyone has been so nice and are right behind me.
“I had messages from people saying their little girls are watching with wee handmade signs and screaming at the TV. If I can be a bit of an inspiration to younger girls, then it’s all worth it.”
Kerry was a huge fan of the original show and expressed her delight to be a part of it.
“How do you even put it into words? I’ve really been trying. It was so, so good. I filmed it ages ago and I’m still not over it. I can remember watching the show when I was younger so to see myself on it is so surreal.”
Kerry is no stranger to a challenge either, having won several downhill mountain bike races to become Scotland’s Elite Downhill Champion in 2021 and 2022.
She explained how the biking helped her during the games, saying: “Mountain biking helped especially with Hang Tough. I’m used to clinging on to a mountain bike for dear life, so it was no different holding on to them!”
Taking on the iconic Eliminator was something Kerry had been desperate to do.
Kerry said: “The highlight for me was definitely the Eliminator, I think the whole of the UK would like to give it a shot, wouldn’t they? So, to actually do it, and to win and beat the travelator will be something I’ll never forget.”
Kerry’s win was well deserved especially considering the mammoth challenge of taking on the Gladiators.
“The Gladiators are incredibly strong women. It was so intimidating, especially for Gauntlet, I was just thinking look at the size of them!
“They’re so strong but they were also incredibly nice. There was a lot of love, and everyone was supporting each other. They’d absolutely hammer us and then be like 'Oh you did so well'. But yeah, definitely no bad blood on the show.”
The reboot is being presented by Bradley Walsh and his son Barney.
Former Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg has taken on the role that was originally held by Dunfermline-born John Anderson, who was previously a local PE teacher and Scottish athletics coach.
On meeting Bradley, Kerry said she felt like it wasn’t real.
"I watch him on the telly basically every night! He was so, so nice and so was Barney. They were just proper down to earth guys.”
Gladiators is on BBC One on Saturday nights, so be sure to tune in to catch Kerry in the quarter finals stage in a few weeks’ time.
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