Ninja Warrior UK 2015 Results: Recap and Highlights from April 11

Ninja Warrior burst onto television screens in the United Kingdom this week, with a flurry of competitive and comedic performances to savour for those in attendance at the bespoke obstacle course.

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Hosted by the amicable trio of This Morning presenter Ben Shepherd, former footballer Chris Kamara and Rochelle Humes from The Saturdays, plenty across the nation tuned to take in the show’s full debut. And it didn't disappoint, for throughout the 60-minute broadcast there were thrills, spills and plenty of harsh tumbles.

Here are the results from the April 11 show and a look back at some of the highlights from the very first showing of Ninja Warrior UK.

Position	Name	Time
1.	Steve Lebourn	1:37
2.	Tim Champion	1:59
3.	Matt Akerfeldt	2:05
4.	Katie McDonnell	2:28
5.	Corbin Mackin	2:42

For those unfamiliar with the concept of Ninja Warrior, the competitors are tasked with tackling a challenging course split in six sections. There are various pitfalls along the way, meaning one lapse in concentration can see those involved ruthlessly eliminated from the running. In this version, the top 10 competitors in each heat qualify for the semi-final.

The show is based on a Japanese program called Sasuke that has been running since 1997 and has since been adapted in the United States and Sweden. Here’s a look at how it should be done:

The first man to complete the course on the night was Matt Akerfeldt, who, as we can see courtesy of the show’s official Instagram account, was donning some very un-ninja-esque clobber but a very pleased look on his face:

For a long time it was looking as if Matt was going to be the only contestant on the day to conquer the course. Plenty of potential ninjas, including a pole fitness instructor, a clutch of firefighters and a tailor were unable to even make it to the final challenge of the “warped wall”.

Nonetheless, former England cricketer Simon Jones took to social media to say he was enjoying the show:

But ss the competition rumbled on, the quality of the athletes involved got better. The father and son pairing of Jeff and Dion Trigg—both Ninja Warrior fanatics—tried their luck and while the former faltered early on, the latter made it all the way to the end of course, but was unable to top Matt’s time of 2:05 in the process.

Here he is in action:

In the final segment of the show the standard surged. Steve Lebourn was the fastest man on display as he romped around the course in 1:37. Trailing him by 22 seconds was Tim Champion and while Matt occupied third, Corbin Mackin (2:42) and Presh Muhunthan (2:50) were not far off.

But the last competitor was arguably the most impressive, as Katie McDonnell became the first woman to conquer the course this series, in a rather impressive time of 2:28 no less.

That put her fourth overall after the first heat and Humes paid tribute to her marvellous effort on Twitter:

You suspect that there will be plenty happy to tune in again after the Ninja Warrior debut, with viewers now a lot more in tune with the concept and what's required in order to thrive.

The program has a little bit of something for everyone to enjoy, whether it be a little bit of schadenfreude at the expense of some of the lesser standard of competitors or the fundamental athleticism of those near the top of the standings. As such, expect it to be just as big a success in the UK as it has been across the globe.