A new ITV reality series, The Summit, will see a former Gladiators star rely on his "spiritual side" as he tackles a gruelling mountain climb in New Zealand. The show tasks 14 contestants with ascending a peak over 14 days, competing for a cash prize of up to £200,000.
Warren Furman, 52, known to viewers as Ace during his eight years as an elite athlete on the original 1990s series of Gladiators, has spoken about how his faith will be his greatest asset.
The former bodybuilder, who became an ordained minister a decade ago, believes his "spiritual side" will be key in the demanding competition. "This won’t just be physical, battles are won and lost in the mind," Furman stated. He added: "When I came to faith, I lost a lot of fears.
A bit like my bodybuilding days, pain is gain. Being scared to death and facing it, that’s what courage is." Furman plans to bring his Bible, saying: "Without that I wouldn’t be able to do anything. I pray, I read the Bible and that’ll be my guide."
Among the diverse line-up is Afton McKeith, 24, a pageant and fitness coach and daughter of Scottish TV personality Gillian McKeith. Also a singer and actress, McKeith is "in it to win it", explaining: "Whenever I do anything I put 110% in, and my goal is to be the best and do my best." She hopes to "experience things I’ve never done before" and is excited to visit New Zealand for the first time. Despite her ambition, she admitted a potential weakness: "The lack of hygiene is a concern for me. It might show some weakness in the way that I handle that. I might freak out a little bit if things are not clean, for example at meal times. I won’t share plates with people and that’s something that I would consider a weakness."
England football scout Tyra Mills, 24, from London, describes herself as "very independent" and "tough".
She views the show as an opportunity for personal growth. "I need to win the show. I want to focus on me," she said. "I don’t give enough time for myself and cut myself short.
This will be the next step in focusing on myself and setting distinct boundaries. I say yes a lot. So that would be the next achievement for me."
The 14-day challenge also features Charlett, 38, a pole fitness instructor from Wiltshire; Jenny, 46, a sales and marketing manager from Peterborough; Dockers, 36, a veteran and senior construction manager from Hull; Tara, 31, a social media influencer from Manchester; Patrick, 24, a content creator from Milton Keynes; Colleen, 48, an ex-steel worker from Port Talbot in south Wales; Drew, 32, a project manager from north London; Miranda, 50, a pub landlady from Northampton; Joel, 36, a sports coach from Loughborough; Sean, 25, a customer service adviser from Liverpool; and Thomas, 29, a tour guide from Winchester.
The series is fronted by Ben Shephard, who called it "the adventure of a lifetime". He detailed the "epic, terrifying physical challenges" awaiting contestants, including "rope climbing, scaling sheer cliff faces, climbing up a glacier with ice axes, climbing up waterfalls when it’s freezing cold, navigating glacial lakes, being chased by helicopters." Shephard, 51, noted the "relentless" and "harsh" New Zealand landscape, observing that "day by day, the scale of what they are facing is wearing on them. You realise the motivation of money will only get you so far."
He added that participants "really end up questioning their choice of even coming on the adventure in the first place," with many smiling at the start "until they realise the scale of what they have set themselves up for."
The Summit will air on February 10 and February 11 at 9pm on ITV1, ITVX, STV, and STV Player.
