Why isn't Gladiators on TV tonight? Reason behind BBC schedule change and when can I watch the semi-final

The Gladiators BBC reboot has proved a huge hit with UK viewers with record-breaking number tuning in every Saturday night.

The new series which started in January, has been airing weekly on Saturday night ever since, with a whopping 8.7 million people viewing the series across its first seven days.

The competition is entering its final rounds, with the second semi-final due to take place tonight, but much to the disappointment of fans, a BBC schedule shake-up means they are going to have to wait a little longer to see who will make it into the Gladiators final.

Why isn't Gladiators on TV tonight?

Gladiators fans have been left disappointed after it has been revealed that this week's semi-final has been pulled from the BBC schedule.

The second semi-final has been delayed for one week due to the FA Cup quarter-final between Manchester City and Newcastle United. Kick-off is at 5.30pm, with BBC coverage running from 5.10pm to 7.40pm. Gary Lineker will be presenting coverage of the quarter-final from Etihad Stadium in Manchester.

When can I watch the next episode of Gladiators on TV?

The second semi-final is now expected to air on Saturday, March 23, which was supposed to be the date of the show's final, which will now air a week later than scheduled on Saturday, March 31. The prize for the strongest contender has yet to be revealed.

Why isn't Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway on TV tonight?

Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway also won't be airing on ITV1 tonight. Another casualty of sporting fixtures, it has been pulled from the schedule because ITV will be airing the Six Nations, as France vs England game from 7.20pm, which kicks off at the Groupama Stadium in Lyon at 8pm.

Announcing the news on social media this morning, the presenting duo said: "I just can't wait for (next) Saturdaaaaay. The rugby means there's no show tonight, but we'll be back next weekend with your #SaturdayNightTakeaway."

Sarah McCann is a Trends Writer for NationalWorld who specialises in stories around TV, Film and Health. If you liked this article you can follow Sarah on X (Twitter) here. You can also share your thoughts in the comment section below.