[1] Presented by Ben Shephard, Chris Kamara and Rochelle Humes,[2] the show focuses on around 250 contestants (160 in series 4–5) tackling a difficult assault course featuring a variety of obstacles, the most notable being the Warped Wall.

If a competitor completes the final obstacle, Mt Midoriyama, in under 45 seconds, they will be declared winner of the contest and crowned "Ninja Warrior UK".

The first competitor to complete the entire course was Tim Champion, beating Mt Midoriyama in the fifth series.

[4] In the show's original run, the competition was divided into three main stages - the heats, the semi-finals, and the final.

Despite the show being based upon Sasuke, the assault course used on the programme featured obstacles primarily from American Ninja Warrior.

The top 15 competitors across both semi-finals would move on to the final, based on who got the furthest or achieved the fastest time.

In recent years, these obstacles have varied very little and include the Crazy Cliffhanger, Spider Flip and Flying Bar.

Should a competitor complete this, they have then achieved total victory and are declared "Ninja Warrior UK".

The show's format features a similar approach to that of Total Wipeout, in that footage in episodes focuses on the highlights of runs by contestants.

Unlike previous series, it was announced on 28 August 2017 that the competition would feature a selection of celebrity contestants, including Gethin Jones, Harry Judd, Jenni Falconer, and Marvin Humes competing alongside members of the general public.

[12] The sixth series, known as Ninja Warrior UK: Race for Glory, was filmed in August 2022 at Manchester Central, and began airing on 10 September 2022.

The format was changed to introduce knockout head-to-head races, with contestants facing off against each other and a team of professional course testers in a knockout-style competition.

[13] On 18 December 2015, a special celebrity edition of Ninja Warrior UK was aired in association with the Text Santa charity.

The celebrities competed on a six-obstacle course, culminating with the Warped Wall; the winner was Louise Hazel.