Gladiators legend Jet, real name Diane Youdale, has shared her one wish for the BBC reboot.
The 56-year-old fitness icon is a fan-favourite of the original run, where she showed off her athletic prowess on the sports game show across four years, from 1992 to 1996.
The series was revived on the BBC in 2024, helmed by father-and-son duo Bradley and Barney Walsh, as a brand new cohort of superhumans took on the best athletes the country has to offer.
The return has proved a certified success, drawing in millions of viewers, forging a new era of beloved Gladiators.
Still, Diane fondly remembers her days on the high-octane competition series and, more than 25 years after she first graced the Gladiators podium, she’s making a grand return for the live Gladiators Experience at the NEC Birmingham.
Not only that, she’ll be joined by fellow legends Lightning, Hunter and Saracen.
Sharing her excitement at the news, she said: ‘It gives me “gladiatorially” great pleasure to be hosting, supporting, and encouraging all abilities in our iconic show.
‘Proving you’ve the speed, the strength, and the heart to be winners.’
As she forays back into this world, however, she has one request for the producers of the primetime Saturday night show, which is currently airing its third season.
Talking about what aspect is ‘missing’, she told The Sun: ‘For me, maybe a slightly more visible representation of LGBTQ.
The TV personality shared last year’s contestant, Amanda Wah, as an example of great representation and a ‘phenomenally good contender and all-rounder’.
In a chat on behalf of online bingo brand Zingo Bingo, she continued: ‘I think she mentioned it would be lovely to have somebody who was more visibly from that community as a Gladiator.
Want to know what the 90s Gladiators cast is up to now?
‘Off the top of my head, it’s the only thing that’s missing because you’ve got the glamour, you’ve got the strength, you’ve got the baddies, you’ve got the glamorous goodies on the male and female side.
‘That’s the one thing that’s missing for me.’
Diane, who split from her wife Zoe last year after a tumultuous 18-month marriage, has been open about her journey navigating her sexuality in her 50s.
As she told The Telegraph in 2024 about their meeting in Tesco, she ‘fell in love with the person, not the gender. It felt very natural’.
The Gladiators Experience will open from May 1 until August 31 at the NEC Birmingham.
Gladiators airs on BBC One at 8pm on Saturday, March 7.
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