BBC Gladiators' Scots champ credits tough army career fighting in warzones for amazing win

dailyrecord.co.uk:

BBC Gladiators crowned their two champions following the show re-boot on Saturday night. Finlay Anderson, 35, put on a stellar performance and won the male section of the show.

The dad-of-two from Edinburgh was thrilled at the win, telling host Bradley Walsh: "This is definitely the most surreal moment ever from five-year-old me playing The Eliminator in my granny’s living room to lifting the real deal, this is unbelievable."However the head-strong military man is set to push his proud achievment aside as he focuses back on work as a British Army officer Major.

He credits his mental resilience as much as physical robustness from the army which helped him scoop the win. After joining the Army in 2010, Finlay has served in multiple operations and overseas training deployments including two tours of both Afghanistan and Iraq and commands an infantry company of 90 soldiers on operations around the world.He said: “From completing arduous courses such as P Company (Airborne Forces Selection) and the Platoon Commanders Battle Course through to long taxing deployments, 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 situations.

These army experiences, dealing with high pressure, high risk-to-life situations gave me a unique perspective when approaching Gladiators “It allowed me to have fun and enjoy the whole experience rather than become overwhelmed with the pressure of large live audiences, TV, interviews and challenging physical events. “There are some bits that translate directly.