Ageless Gladiators star Diane Youdale says she’d love to return as an expert pundit.
Known as her stage name Jet, the 52-year-old has begged producers for a role in the new 11-episode series of the 90s cult classic on the BBC.
She says she would love to return alongside the main presenters – currently tipped to be Holly Willoughby, Alex Scott or Gaby Logan.
The athlete left Gladiators in 1996 after suffering a serious neck injury in a terrifying incident which was caught on camera.
After grappling with one of the contenders, who were testing themselves against the abilities of the Gladiators, Diane landed awkwardly in a near-fatal fall and felt her neck crack.
Speaking to The Sun, Diane said she had her contender "in my arms in a rugby tackle," before they went "flying through the air."
The landing proved to be problematic and Diane explained: "By the time I hit the floor at the bottom of the pyramid, my head was in the way."
On landing she knew there was a problem with her neck as she had "heard that snap before."
Taken by ambulance to hospital, Diane was pleased to find after a while that she could still move her fingers and toes and doctors revealed she had compressed her spinal cord - commenting that she was lucky to be alive at all.
Diane said that being so "bendy" and flexible had saved her from breaking her neck, with medics fearing the had suffered the fatal 'hangman break'.
This is the fracture that prisoners killed by hanging would receive.
Despite the near-death experience, Diane says she would be more than happy to return to Gladiators when in comes back next year.
“I have a huge presenting and broadcast background so I do have some credibility in that arena,” she said. “My credibility really does lie in having been there and having done the show.”
She added: “I think sometimes you get a line-up of not just two presenters who actually anchor the show but a third presenter who is kind of an additional pundit.
“What is it really like to be doing that event? What was that tactic like? Did she do it correctly? What was that contender really doing? Was the balance right in terms of them being pitted against each other?
“There are so many things that go on in combat in that moment that you don’t think about when you’re an anchor on the show because you’re thinking about how much longer have I got on this interview, you’re listening to the guys in the box.
“I think it would be really nice to do it slightly differently.
“Yes, have your two anchors, of course, but what about a third person like a pundit live with a mic like they do in a lot of sports these days? That’s slightly something different.
“I would love to be one of the key anchors, of course, but I think I could add something a little bit different.”
Gladiators returns to BBC One and BBC iPlayer in 2023.
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