Splash hits

Contestants from all walks of life are hoping to make a splash in this daft but entertaining new game show hosted by Freddie Flintoff. Taking place on a special course in sunny Malta, they face a variety of challenges which all involve hurtling towards the water at great speed.

“It’s a level playing field,” grins Freddie. “Anyone can come out and have a go. I think everyone will root for different people – for me, it’s the underdogs you want to do well, not the lads who are giving it all that. You want to see them fail, to be honest!”

Freddie will be joined on the show by a team of poolside commentators: Frankie Bridge, Radzi Chinyanganya, Ryan Hand and Maya Jama – who all enjoyed getting to know the contestants.

“It was interesting – there were quite a few recurring jobs,” recalls Frankie. “We had a lot of cheerleaders, quite a few divers or swimming teachers, lifeguards – and people who had already tried to be on Ninja Warrior!

Someone said this was a bit like

Ninja Warrior for unfit people.” “We’ve had a guy who was in the Commonwealth Games, we’ve had gymnasts and pole vaulters,” adds Radzi. “But you can’t train for this! You get one crack at it, and you’ve got to get it right, and you have no idea how it is going to go…”

Challenges range from a 10-pin bowling challenge down a slippery slope in an inflatable ball, to being catapulted into the air from a giant inflatable when two-and-a-half times your weight is dropped on to it.

And while there were some awkward landings, there were thankfully no major injuries.

“We got a couple of tweets of people’s thigh bruises,” chuckles Maya. “You know that if you hit the water hard you’re going to have a little bruise on your bum or something. But it’s not anything that would stop you from doing it again!”

“There was one really good entry into the water,” adds

Ryan. “A guy was doing the event called Jump, and he was flying through the air and it looked like he was going to completely bellyflop – and then at the last minute he turned it around and did the most spectacular dive ever!”