A Darlington priest and former Army captain was knocked out in what was described as the “closest eliminator of all time” on the hit BBC show Gladiators.
Rev Rachael Phillips was beaten by a fraction of a second in the dramatic head-to-head eliminator during Saturday night’s episode, after taking on a series of elite Gladiators.
The mum-of-two went up against Naomi, 40, from Birmingham. Supporters in the crowd cheered her on, with one sign reading: “Rev it up Rachael!.”
The vicar, who's also a rugby player, brought both strength and humour to the competition. In her introduction video, she said: “At the centre of my faith is that Jesus showed us mercy, but on Gladiators, I’m going to be showing none.”
She scored five points in the Duel event against a Gladiator, later joking: “Jesus said turn the other cheek, and I did, and I got battered on that side as well.”
Hosts Bradley and Barney Walsh confirmed the eliminator was one of the closest finishes ever seen on the show, but it was Naomi who narrowly triumphed. After the race, Rachael praised her rival, saying: “What a contender. I wouldn’t want to lose against anyone else. What a great person she is.”
The 39-year-old became a Christian while serving in Afghanistan in 2012 and says that around a year later she sensed a calling to ordained ministry. She spent 14 years in the British Army working as a cultural specialist and linguist before being ordained as a deacon in 2022 and a priest in 2023.
Rev Phillips now serves at Magdalene Community Church in Chopwell Woods, a church community known for worshipping outdoors.
