Bluecoats are victors in robot wars

THREE FORMER Bluecoats have been crowned champions of Robot Wars 2016.

Dave Young, Marc Dermott and Ben Bacon – who make up the Apollo team and were dubbed “the boy band of Robot Wars” – said they can not believe their luck after winning the show, which was rebooted this year after 12 years. The trio, who met at a Pontins holiday camp, were presented the prestigious trophy by hosts Dara O Briain and Angela Scanlon.

Young said: “For three guys from a non-engineering background to win a show like this is crazy. Nine years ago when we all met as Bluecoats we would never think this would happen.”

The new series of the BBC Two followed the old format of teams of engineers having their creations battle against other robots and house robots, and saw 40 groups compete over six episodes. The final saw the six robots still standing – Carbide, Shockwave, TR2, Apollo, Pulsar and Thor – compete in two group battles, each with three robots. One loser from each fight was then eliminated.

The four surviving robots then faced off in the head-to-heads, competing to make it to the final. Apollo faced Carbide, which had beaten them in a previous headto-head, to emerge triumphant.