Mums slam BBC’s ‘absolute flop’ Gladiators event with 8 HOUR queues & kids ‘BANNED from games’

ANGRY parents have slammed a BBC Gladiators event where kids were due to meet their heroes – with families left queuing for EIGHT hours to get in.

Frustrated mums posted videos of the horrendous queue at Bluewater shopping centre in Kent on Saturday calling it “absolute madness”.

One posted on Instagram: “This is probably the worst free event we have ever been to!

“We joined the queue to see The Gladiators at 10am…the event was scheduled for 10-5.30pm, but the queue was closed at around 11am with the expectation told to us by the organisers of queueing for 2-4 hours.

“We queued for almost 8 hours! To get inside to be told that the activities were no longer running!

“An absolute flop of an event which could have easily been prevented by a ticketed system and virtual queue, I wonder why this wasn’t in place when it was clear this would have been a hugely popular event.

“Poor management by whoever organised this and I hope the day runs better for others tomorrow!”

She added: “What a wasted day and sad times for the children and parents near the back.”

An estimated 2,000 people joined the queue for the event – with some only to get inside and realise the activities were no longer running.

Another parent, Abby Clarke, from Essex – who up with her wife Melissa and daughter Daisy, 11 – told KentOnline at the time: “The amount of people here is incredible, I can’t even see the back of the queue and we are still nowhere near the front.

“People have come from all over the country for this and we have waited for nearly six hours. But we are going to stay with it until the end.

“I understand several of the Gladiators are here such as Sabre, Hammer, and Legend who is from Kent.

“Because this is a shopping centre we have been able to sustain ourselves by one of us briefly going off to get food and drink.”;

Nigel Flanagan posted a video of the queue, writing: “I think we have one more hour of queuing” alongside a stressed face emoji.

He added: “If you are thinking of coming Tomorrow please leave Early.. Que has ridiculously long today.”

Others were happy to contend with the wait and found the event well worth it in the end.

Kelly Susan Kay said: “We had the BEST day at the GLADIATOR event at Bluewater! After yesterday’s reviews we weren’t going to bother, but the girls were so disappointed and we thought no, let’s do it! And it did not disappoint .

“We found it was organised, there was a SEN queue for people who needed it and the staff were very friendly! Saul joined the main queue at 6.30am and we joined him at just after 8.30am, we were let into the tent just before 10am, really not too bad.”

Stephen Bindley said, after waiting for five hours in the queue, “was long but fun and couldn’t believe the amount of people”.

Flying Eze has contacted the BBC and Bluewater for comment.