BBC Gladiators champion Finlay says 'quitting was not an option' as he credits army past for helping him win

The male champion of the Gladiators has credited his army past for helping him win as he said 'quitting is not an option'. Finlay Anderson, 35, took the victory on the BBC game show reboot on Saturday night after beating Wesley Male in the final eliminator - a tough obstacle course.

The dad-of-two had nearly dropped out of the show after suffering a broken rib in the quarter-final, but after making up the 12 points between him and Wesley, a Ministry of Defence civil servant, he secured his place in the final and took the win.

Finlay, who is a British Army officer, joined the army in 2010 and has served two tours of Afghanistan, two tours of Iraq and commands an infantry company of 90 soldiers on operations around the world. He says his military training helped him to 'overcome obstacles' and be crowned the winner.

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Finlay, from Edinburgh, said: "As we were level going into the Eliminator and I'd nearly caught him last time I felt quite confident.

"I pulled away on the cargo net and kept going. Wes fell on the travelator at the end, so I went back round to cheer him on. He's a really good guy.

"I crashed sideways through finish line and was looking directly at my family and friends. I looked them in the eye and gave them a wave while still on rope. It was pretty wild."

Finlay says the mental resilience and "physical robustness" gained from his training helped him take the title. He added: "I have learnt what I am mentally and physically capable of, quitting is not an option. We adapt and overcome challenges no matter how big.

"I now enjoy the excitement of working under pressure and feel well equipped to cope with difficult, new, or emergency