With a Gladiators reboot soon to hit our TV screens, the Standard caught up with Diane Youdale who portrayed fan-favourite Jet on the original series, which aired on ITV back in the 90s.
Teesside-born Youdale was 22 and an accomplished gymnast and choreographer when she was headhunted by TV producers who spotted her in a fitness magazine and approached her about appearing on Gladiators.
She says she was put through her paces during an assault course at Woolwich Army Barracks in south east London.
“I was like Super Mario, just zooming about,” she told the Standard on behalf of ICE 36. “I blitzed the gym tests and aside from myself there were two other girls: One was [journalist] Gabby Logan who got through the tests quite swiftly and Nicky Diamond who became Scorpio.
“Gabby in the end declined because she became a Sky Sports reporter. And, the rest is history!”
As Jet, she was known for her agile gymnastic moves, kilowatt smile and hairflip - which she says was “more for function than vanity”.
“As soon as you come off the event they’d be going ‘what was it like for you?’ you’d get your helmet off and I’d be sweaty, my makeup’s all down my face and I’d be like, I’ve still got these big padded gloves on it.
“So I just put my head upside down then flick my hair back and smooth it away from my face and it would look decent. So that’s how that started.”
The brunette starred on the show from 1992 until 1996 when she decided to leave after sustaining a serious neck injury.
Two of the new generation Gladiators have already been ruled out of the competition after sustaining injuries and Youdale says she isn’t surprised.
“It’s the nature of the beast,” she told the Standard. “I don’t think with the events that they’ve chosen to bring back, you can at all get away from some of the big joint and back injuries.
“I just hope that whatever injuries they’ve sustained are enough for them to get rehabbed from and better from and they’re back in the arena next year.”
After Gladiators, Youdale went on to become a TV presenter on shows such as kids TV gameshow Finders Keeps with Neil Buchanan in 1996, and in the same year, was the hostess on You Bet!, with Darren Day before deciding to re-train as a psychotherapist.
Discussing the Gladiators reboot, due to air on the BBC later, this year hosted by father and son Bradley and Barney Walsh, she said she was excited to see what they were going to do with it as it’s not the first time that someone has tried to bring it back with Sky’s attempt in 2008 proving short-lived.
“I was a bit mixed to be honest at first and then I heard it was the BBC that were gonna do it. And it’s Holly Willoughby’s husband, Dan Baldwin whose Hungry Bear media has bought the rights to it.
”I think it’s in good hands as long as it gets the production value and the budget and they treat the gladiators and the contenders right, this time it will really have legs because it’s time now for a new audience.”
While viewers won’t be seeing her back in the ring, Youdale says she and other Gladiators alum have tried to contact producers at various points to offer their assistance and expertise but not had any success.
Regardless, she hopes that people will get behind the new show and make it as successful as its predecessor.
“Please support the new series, enjoy it!” she said. “Get the whole family sat in the living room and enjoy a family show that is well beyond its time to come back.”
