BOSSES behind the Gladiators TV reboot were not ready for the huge crowds which arrived on the first day of filming this week — and turned thousands away.
Kids and parents — some who had driven for hours to get there and even booked hotels — were refused entry, despite having tickets.
It turned out the arena venue had been massively overbooked, with fans saying they were told up to 12,000 free tickets were issued with only 3,000 seats available.
One angry parent said: “Drove three hours, queued over two hours in the freezing cold with three children, just to be told it was full. So annoyed.
“What a waste of a day, petrol and parking costs.”
From tongue scraping to saying no, here are 12 health trends to try in 2023
Huge crowds had turned up at the Utilita Arena Sheffield to watch new stars including Electro and Viper aim to outshine their ’90s counterparts such as Jet and Wolf.
One angry dad who had taken the day off work to take his two kids, said: “It’s really poor organisation.”
Fans had to apply for tickets via Applause Store, which organises audiences for shows including Britain’s Got Talent and Saturday Night Takeaway.
But when they turned up for the first day on Thursday, it was clear far too many tickets had been issued.
IT worker Peter Broughton, 43, from Rotherham, South Yorks, who was with his son, ten, and daughter, eight, said: “It’s really disappointing. I was a huge fan of the original show.
“I remember skiving off school to go and meet Jet and Cobra and got their signatures.
“I have shown my kids those earlier shows on YouTube. I really wanted to share it with them so this is really disappointing.
“More people were turned away than got in. It’s a rough day for kids on their half-term.”
The original show — hosted by Ulrika Jonsson and John Fashanu — was a huge hit from 1992 to 2000.
The new version will be shown on the BBC later this year, hosted by Bradley Walsh and his son Barney.
How to de-clutter if you have a beauty stash to last you a lifetime
Applause Store advised people to turn up early to avoid disappointment as it sends out “a small percentage” more than there are seats.
The firm said: “We apologise for any disappointment. Due to an unprecedented demand, we reached full capacity sooner than anticipated, which meant we couldn’t accommodate everyone.
“As clearly stated on all our free tickets and website, entrance is on a first-come, first-served basis.”
