During our second 90s evening (it’s becoming a thing!) I noticed something during the Gladiators episode that was so smoothly done, it hadn’t even registered in my mind. The men’s and women’s events were swapped in order throughout the show and for each episode. For example, who was introduced first, sometimes the men, sometimes the women. Who took to the Eliminator first at the end of the episode? This time it was the men, the other time it was the women.

It’s such an obvious and easy change to the regularly established order of the men’s final event being the big one that wraps everything up. Women go first, men close the deal. Why can’t other sports take on this idea of alternating? Each year or each tournament or each race, whatever the setup is. Wimbledon could have the men’s final on a Sunday one year and the women’s final on the Sunday the next.

I can’t see it happening any time soon but I’m putting it out there as a hope and a wish and I’ll be watching this space to see if anyone follows the Gladiators example.