ITV to axe much-loved series fronted by This Morning star

ITV is set to axe a much-loved series fronted by Ben Shephard. Ninja Warrior UK, fronted by Ben, who went to university in Birmingham, is believed to have been scrapped.

The beloved obstacle course challenge, presented by Shephard, Rochelle Humes and Chris Kamara, reportedly met its end due to the soaring ratings of BBC's 'Gladiators' revival.

An insider shared with The Sun's TV Biz column: "For years Ninja Warrior was one of ITV’s biggest shows and scooped up all those families who missed Gladiators. " "Ben Shephard, Rochelle Humes, and Kammy made the series a big success.

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"But when the BBC revived Gladiators last year, it sounded the death knell for ITV’s ninjas. It was an absolute ratings champion, pulling in over six million viewers versus 1.6 million for Ninja Warrior’s last series in 2022. " "A decision was therefore taken to rest Ninja Warrior for good."

Following a break after the 2019 season, the programme returned in 2022 with its sixth series named 'Ninja Warrior UK: Race for Glory'. Debuting on ITV in 2015, this show took inspiration from Japan's 'Sasuke'.

Meanwhile, with 'Gladiators' hosted by Bradley and Barney Walsh fetching an average of six million viewers this year, the BBC has promptly commissioned a second season, set to grace screens in early 2025 along with an exclusive Celebrity Special.