Superstars: When Our Sporting Heroes Became Gladiators in the Ultimate 70s Competition

I remember those long summer afternoons in the 70s, sprawled on the living room carpet, completely mesmerised by what was unfolding on our television screen. There, lined up like modern gladiators, were some of the greatest names in British sport, preparing to compete in events that would test them in ways their own disciplines never could. This wasn’t just sport; this was Superstars, and it was absolutely brilliant.

The concept was beautifully simple. Take elite athletes from different sporting backgrounds, ban them from competing in their own sport, and watch them battle it out across ten events. Points were awarded based on finishing positions, and the competitor with the most points would be crowned champion. On paper, it sounds mundane, but in practice, it was television gold.

When “Britain’s Sporting Superstars” debuted on New Year’s Eve 1973, it immediately captured something special. This was a time when our sporting heroes seemed more accessible, more human. They were characters who weren’t afraid to show their vulnerabilities alongside their strengths.

The first competition set the tone perfectly. David Hemery, the 1968 Olympic 400-metre hurdles champion, emerged victorious from a stellar field: Jackie Stewart, Bobby Moore, Joe Bugner, Roger Taylor, Tony Jacklin and Barry John. Just imagine assembling such a collection of genuine superstars willing to risk their reputations today.

The events were a masterclass in variety. The 100 metres and 800 metres provided pure athletic spectacle, while cycling and rowing tested endurance. But it was the unusual events that really captured the imagination. The obstacle race was pure entertainment, and then there was the gym test – that legendary examination of strength and endurance.

The gym test was where heroes were made and legends were born. Those parallel bar dips became sporting folklore. Watching elite athletes push themselves to absolute exhaustion was both inspiring and terrifying. I remember trying to replicate those dips as a child, managing perhaps five or six before collapsing, which made the competitors’ achievements all the more impressive.

As the show’s popularity grew, the BBC expanded to include European Superstars. This is where the most memorable moments occurred.

Kevin Keegan’s cycling accident perfectly encapsulated what made Superstars so compelling. Here was one of England’s greatest footballers, completely out of his element, suffering a painful crash that left him bloodied and battered. But instead of withdrawing, he fought on, ultimately winning his heat despite his injuries. His post-race interview, where he acknowledged that the crowd had “come here to see me make a fool of myself and they’ve got a right to it,” showed the sporting spirit that made these athletes so endearing.

Then there was James Hunt, who allegedly amazed fellow competitors by chain-smoking between events before performing brilliantly. Stan Bowles provided perhaps the most entertainingly chaotic performance during the 1976 series, managing to shoot a hole in the table during the shooting event before capsizing his canoe.

The late 1970s represented the absolute peak of Superstars’ popularity. Audiences regularly exceeded ten million viewers. This was when Brian Jacks emerged as the show’s greatest legend. The judoka from Camberley became synonymous with Superstars, particularly those parallel bar dips. Jacks was an absolute machine in the gym tests. In 1979, he won the British competition by a considerable margin before claiming the European title.

The show’s decline in the 1980s was perhaps inevitable. As athletes became more specialised and valuable, the risks associated with competing began to outweigh the benefits. By the time the BBC cancelled Superstars in 1985, it had lost much of its original magic.

Yet Superstars lives on in our collective sporting memory, a reminder of when sport felt more human, more accessible, more fun. For those of us who grew up watching it, Superstars represents more than just a television programme. It was a weekly appointment with sporting excellence and entertainment.

The memories it created – Kevin Keegan’s brave cycling comeback, Brian Jacks’ incredible gym performances, Stan Bowles’ entertaining disasters – have become part of our shared sporting heritage. For me, Superstars will always represent the gold standard of sporting entertainment. It was, quite simply, brilliant television and brilliant sport, and we’re unlikely to see its like again.

Did you follow the adventures of Superstars? Which events captured your imagination, and do you remember those legendary moments that have become part of sporting folklore?

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