The Fife contestant who became one of the first winners on the rebooted Gladiators series says life has been a “whirlwind” since the episode aired.
Kerry Wilson, a dog walker from Oakley, near Dunfermline, appeared as the BBC show returned on Saturday evening.
The revival was a hit with viewers as the broadcaster revealed more than six million people tuned in to watch the first episode live.
It saw Kerry beat fellow contestant Tasha – a school nurse from Ipswich – to make it through to the next round.
She has spoken about her experience and coming up against Gladiator Sabre – Dundee gym owner Sheli McCoy.
Wife nominated dog walker for Gladiators reboot in secret
Kerry said it was her wife – Amber – who had first nominated her to take part in the series in secret.
She told The Courier: “Amber had mentioned it to me before and I laughed it off.
“The next thing I knew I was making dinner one night and we got a phone call from one of the producers.
“I thought that she must have more faith in me than I do in myself.
“Then I thought, ‘why would I not want to give it a bash?'”
Having won her episode Kerry, a champion mountain biker, will appear again in the quarter-finals.
She came face-to-face with Gladiator Sabre – Dundee gym owner Sheli McCoy – in one of her final games.
Kerry said: “Hang Tough, where I was against Sabre, was my favourite challenge.
“It was amazing to see how they edited it.
“We [Kerry and Sheli] spoke a bit in the backstage area.
“She is so good, she stays in character the whole time – she stays as Sabre – you don’t get to see Sheli.
“I thought it was cool how they put Scottish against Scottish – I just had to stay up on the rings for long enough.”
Kerry, 34, lives with Amber and their two French Bulldogs in Oakley.
She started mountain biking in 2018 and became Scotland’s Elite Downhill Champion in 2021 and 2022.
‘I just had to tackle it straight on’
Filming for Gladiators took place in June 2023 – but Kerry hadn’t seen the final cut of the episode until it aired on TV on Saturday.
She said: “When the viewers saw it that’s when we saw it too.
“We were blown away – I was chuffed with it.
“The whole setup when we were filming was so good and we were looked after so well.
“It was unbelievable.
“Every contender had such a level of fitness and strength in them.
“I thought I was going home – Tasha was so fit and so strong, I had to give it everything I had.
“On the Eliminator I got to the Travellator – which was my nemesis in training – and just shut my eyes and hoped.
“I just had to tackle it straight on.”
Kerry will appear on Gladiators again when the series reaches its quarter-finals later this year.
The show is available to watch every Saturday on BBC One and Player.
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