Jet from Gladiators to host Millennium barn dance at Yeovil aerodrome.Properly policed.Must not,repeat must not turn into an all night rave. This service is provided on News Group Newspapers' Limited's Standard Terms and Conditions in accordance with our Privacy & Cookie Policy. So today, we are going to offer you some[Read the Rest] Maid Marian Fireman Sam Blue Peter Thomas The Tank Baywatch 90s Kids Badger Childhood Memories. Lightning had her first competitive event when she was eight years old. The babe retired from the show before the fifth series started after injuring herself on the Pyramid during a live show in Sheffield. Former Gladiator, Jet (real name Diane Youdale), has once again been confirmed by men as the greatest thing ever on TV. To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. “I remember thinking, ‘I’m so embarrassed!’" Diane says, recalling the jealous grumblings. Even after she left, accidents continued to take place on the programme. Listen Now. Gladiators was huge in the 90s and Diane Youdale has recalled the moment in her 20s when she cracked her neck that ended her career on the show. Jet – real name Diane Youdale – appeared in four series, three international series and three live tours. In the first show, the Gladiators, including bad-boy Wolf and glamour-puss Jet, were reunited in Birmingham at the venue where they gripped millions around the UK in the 90s. She's got a new job with @spirehealthcare", "Gladiators Legend, Diane 'Jet' Youdale talks about Gladiators revival & a possible return to the arena", "Latest UK News Headlines – Mirror.co.uk", "Lifestyle – Health & Fitness – It looks good for Diane", Listen to Diane trying her first Parmo – a real Teesside treat, Details about her live web chats from March 2007, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Diane_Youdale&oldid=1005671975, Short description is different from Wikidata, BLP articles lacking sources from October 2013, Wikipedia articles with PLWABN identifiers, Wikipedia articles with WORLDCATID identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 8 February 2021, at 21:45. "It’s been very rare, when somebody’s been there just because they want to meet Jet. Gladiators launched in 1992 until 2000. When the wall art is old or when the lamps look dull, we can’t wait to change their looks immediately. "I know that she’s in the room. I decided it wasn’t worth it any more. Cobra, Rhino, Jet, Wolf, Hunter, Lightning, Panther, Nightshade and Saracen ... the 87-year-old also … Diane immediately knew she was badly hurt as she lay in agony beneath the bright stadium lights. Jet's skill in the Gladiators events, good looks and fantastic personality made her one of the most popular Gladiators of all time. [1], Youdale trained as a choreographer before joining Gladiators at the age of 22. Diane Youdale was a trained gymnastic, dancer and choreographer before joining the cast of the Gladiators in 1992 at the age of 22 as Jet. The TV series Gladiators debuted in the UK in 1992, and featured contestants battling a sort of Ninja Warrior course while being chased, punched, hit and jumped on … "I remember thinking, 'Have I broken my neck?'" Gladiators (TV Series 1992–2000) cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. Jet was intensely scrutinised as well as idolised, her uber-athletic physique being a dramatic shift from the super-skinny look which was popular at the time. After appearing in 59 episodes from 1989-1993, the ironically Canadian-born Pare, or Lace #1 to American Gladiator fans, made one appearance on … Many of the games that involved a big fall like Duel, where Gladiators tried to knock contestants off a high platform with a pugil stick, were played over water instead of crash mats. News Corp is a network of leading companies in the worlds of diversified media, news, education, and information services. “It terrified me so much that I could have sat in a chair for the rest of my life and possibly worse,” Diane says. And although she makes no secret about her Gladiator past, it can sometimes cause a problem with clients who come to be treated by her. "So instead of breaking your neck or your knee or your ankle," Diane laughs, "You could drown instead!”. Gladiators legend Diane Youdale, known by her stage name Jet, revealed the 90s show helped her overcome the bulimia she suffered from ages … jet gladiators - Google Search. "This piece came on on the 10 o’clock news and I remember just bursting in tears going ‘Haven’t they learned yet?’" she says. "To be honest, it has brought some people into the therapeutic process with a little bit more courage because they do feel they’ve got something they can immediately relate to. Nowadays, former Gladiators have all gone their separate ways — but Hunter, Cobra, Panther, and Lightning recently reunited with Diane on Good Morning Britain. An absolute milestone of television and a truly defining moment of the nineties. "That girl had two vertebrae shattered in her spine and she was lucky she didn’t end up in a chair for the rest of her life, but she was in a body brace for two or three years.”. The big man himself! “If you’re moving, then they can’t go, ‘Oh, has she really got that on her bum?’". Jet from Gladiators. "The Sun", "Sun", "Sun Online" are registered trademarks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited. "I think it’s a desperate desexualisation particularly of the female form for a girl to starve herself that much so she feels that she can look good in clothes," she says. She enjoys long walks, exercising and is a keen surfer.[6]. It's hard to overstate the show's popularity — it was watched by around a quarter of the entire British population and was recorded in front of 7,000 foam-finger waving fans packed into the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham for every show. Now, she is back stunning fans with her incredible figure, but for one terrifying day, she feared she'd never walk again. Rebel (Jennifer Stoute) After Gladiators, Jennifer Stoute co-founded a … "But Nigel [the director] said, 'When you give what this girl can give down the camera, then you’ll get equal time'.”. “I thought if I just keep moving, then people can’t see all the bits," she explains. Hearing referee John Anderson shout: "Contenders ready, Gladiators ready", was the highlight to Saturday evenings as the challenges got underway. With Ulrika Jonsson, John Anderson, John Sachs, Kim Betts. What are the original Gladiators doing now? Diane was just 26 when her death-defying fall took place during an untelevised live version of Gladiators held in the old Wembley Stadium. "You’ve got your client, you’ve got me, and there’s a third person present in the room called ‘Jet’. Having signed up in the first series in 1992, Diane competed alongside some of the most adored cast members including beloved bad boy Wolf and Cobra, the joker in the pack known for pulling faces at the judges. Wolf was THE star of the show and often wound up referees and contestants alike. Anybody who would jump on a train for three hours and stand for an hour in a queue to get the old magazines and books signed, I'll give my time. In the years since her time on the show, Diane has dedicated her life to helping others, working as a psychotherapist in two clinics in Wales. Anybody who would jump on a train for three hours and stand for an hour in a queue to get the old … But Diane always believed in fitness as a positive way of transforming yourself as opposed to extreme dieting to "look like a clothes hangar for a catwalk". To inquire about a licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site. Had she not been so bendy, medics said she would have suffered a fatal "hangman break" - the type of fracture that killed prisoners executed by hanging. they fancy me, or something like that,” she says. The telly star, 50, teased fans by revealing that the iconic show would return next year with a special show. GLADIATORS' Jet star Diane Youdale has revealed that the original line-up are in talks for a 30th anniversary show with ITV producers. Zodiac left Gladiators before the 1997 series, as she was pregnant with daughter Ella, whose dad is former Gladiator Trojan – and who counts Jet as her godmother. "You’ve got to remember that Gladiators in the early 90s was coming out of 80s heroin chic, so very thin models were becoming famous.”. Normally, Diane would try and manipulate the fall as she and the skewered contender hurtled toward the ground so that she didn't land awkwardly. "I was flying through the air with her, and by the time I hit the floor at the bottom of the pyramid, my head was in the way.". she commented. While recovering, Diane thought about how close she came to being paralysed or killed for the sake of a TV show. Listen to our brand new Gladiators podcast, hosted by Jet (Diane Youdale). Jet from Gladiators had a special place in the hearts of a certain generation of TV viewers but there was a moment when she almost lost her life while performing as the beloved character. My Hair Crush: Jet from ‘Gladiators’ There are two types of people in the world – those who think of Russell Crowe when they hear the word ‘gladiator’, and those who immediately imagine spandex, mullets and giant cotton-bud battles fought 30 feet in the air. When she hit the crash pad, she immediately realised something was wrong with her neck. Gladiators favourite Jet – aka Diane Youdale – is back, and she’s got sick days in her sights. Jet from Gladiators was a huge star and famously caught the eye of Alan Partridge, who had a wacky idea for show involving Jet: “Jet from Gladiators to host a … Now aged 65, Michael runs a successful chain of gyms in New Zealand, where he now lives with his wife and their four children. One incident in which a contestant on the show was hurt particularly stuck. Her fall took place during the Pyramid game, where a contender tried to run past her to the top of the pyramid — as Diane tried to wrestle her back down to the ground. She then co-hosted the final original series of Finders Keepers with Neil Buchanan in 1996, and in the same year, was the hostess on You Bet!, with Darren Day. Unfortunately Jet's Gladiator career came to a sudden end during the 1996 Live Shows in Wembley Arena, London. Gladiators. DIANE Youdale can still hear the sickening 'crack' that slammed the door shut on her Gladiators career - and very nearly cost her her life. ", Third Covid wave this year will 'find those not vaccinated', Whitty warns, Piers ‘spoken to’ by ITV after saying he ‘didn’t believe’ Meghan was suicidal, Dawn French pays tribute to Dibley star Trevor Peacock as he dies aged 89, Piers STORMS OFF GMB after Alex Beresford accuses him of 'trashing' Meghan, Thomas has 'apologised 100 times' to Harry & Meg but says they won't talk to him, ©News Group Newspapers Limited in England No. 679215 Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF. Diane Youdale, following an interview with Loaded magazine quotes that "Sky reckon they're going to run it for three to four years so I've said to them why not wait until the last ever episode and then I make my comeback then?" However that will all depend on how well the show does in the ratings. “Sometimes it can be a little bit awkward if somebody’s projecting something into the therapeutic relationship i.e. "There were lots of other injuries," Diane says. The star was only 22 when she cartwheeled on to Britain's TV screens - and boys' bedroom walls - as Jet, but celebrating her 50th birthday today, she feels lucky to be alive at all. Her wide appeal is still a selling point, recently releasing a fitness video for fellow singletons using dating app Lumen just last month. Learn how and when to remove this template message, "Middlesbrough's Gladiator 'Jet' has done it all", "Remember Jet from Gladiators? At the back of the room, four gladiators – Cobra (Michael Anthony Willson), Lightning (Kim Betts), Wolf and fan favourite Jet (Diane Youdale) – are perched on stools. Her high-flying career came crashing down in 1996 in a near-fatal awkward fall from a giant black and white pyramid during a show. Amid the craze, Diane emerged as one of the best-loved Gladiators for her incredible looks and trademark hair flicks and cartwheels between games. Michael Van Wijk (born 30 September 1952) is an Indian-born English bodybuilder, professional sportsperson, actor and TV presenter. Diane Patricia Youdale (born 13 February 1970) is an English television personality, who is best known for her role as "Jet" on the television series Gladiators. A television show that saw normal (slightly above average) people competing against brutal humanoid forces of nature in a dramatic modern update of Rome’s coliseum battles. View our online Press Pack. Gladiators star Diana Youdale has teased that the original cast could return for a 30th anniversary special of the show. “You’re just paranoid," she says, "Because a bit of lycra doesn’t cover much!”. [5] After separation and divorce, Diane spends her time between North East England and Surrey where she works as a psychotherapist and is launching her own EQ company Soul Dynamics. At six years old Lightning took up gymnastics after she was accepted into Lichfield Olympic Gymnastic Club. For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click this link: thesun.co.uk/editorial-complaints/, Comments are subject to our community guidelines, which can be viewed, Diane Youdale as Jet on Gladiators - she was on the show between 1992 and 1996 until a horrific accident ended her career, Diane turns 50 today - she's still adored by her hardcore following of Gladiators fans, This was the moment Diane dangerously landed on her neck after tackling a contestant off the pyramid in 1996, Diane says she still finds it difficult to look at these pictures of the accident today, The Pyramid was axed after Diane's accident for being too dangerous, Diane appeared on Good Morning Britain alongside other Gladiators in October last year, Diane recently released a fitness video for dating app Lumen, Diane decided to put the pugil stick down for good after her fall, Doctors told her that being so flexible may have saved her life, Gladiators featured some terrifying games - like Dogfight, in which contestants were strapped into an airship 30 feet up and tried to avoid being hit by a gladiator wielding a 'combat club', British and Australian Gladiators in 1995 (L-R) Cheeta, Jet, Blade, Vogue, and Lightning, Diane was 'embarrassed' at being considered a sex symbol, Jodie Kidd was an icon of the 'heroin chic' in the modelling world in the 1990s, The gaunt look was typified by an extremely skinny body and pronounced bone structures, Diane's super strong physique was different to that of many women who were in the public eye, Gladiators' Diane Youdale, 49, stars in new fitness video, Hunter, Cobra, Panther, and Lightning recently reunited with Diane on Good Morning Britain, fitness video for fellow singletons using dating app Lumen, Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). By William Cole For Mailonline. Jet from Gladiators had a special place in the hearts of a certain generation of TV viewers but there was a moment when she almost lost her life while performing as the beloved character. She violently slammed into the crash mat vertically, "literally pencil-point down", in full view of the horrified audience. Gladiators' producers banned the Pyramid from future performances after her accident deeming it too dangerous for the series. [2], “I was beginning to see more spinal injuries. You can damage your ankle or your knee and it will recover, but breaking your neck – that’s a different story. Diane's decision to depart from the ITV show was devastating to Jet's legions of fans, who'd watched her transform from a fitness instructor and dance choreographer before her time on the show into an icon. Diane says her eye-catching acrobatic flourishes weren't attention seeking — she just didn’t feel comfortable standing still and posing for the camera. [2], On 2 July 2008 it was announced that Sky have plans to do several years of the revival of hit show Gladiators. Jet was a firm favourite among ardent Gladiators fans and was an original member of the team until she had to pull out in 1996 after suffering a back injury while tackling the Pyramid. Jet from Gladiators vows to barn dance at Yeovil Aerodrome. After my accident, I decided to quit while I could. I love hiking and I didn’t want that to be taken from me for the sake of someone’s entertainment.”[3], After attempting to become a presenter, Youdale later re-trained as a psychotherapist. “I heard that snap before when I’d broken ligaments and bones,” she says. Tests in hospital revealed she'd compressed her spinal cord — but stunned doctors told her she was lucky to be alive. "I had my contender, bless her, in my arms in a rugby tackle," Diane tells Sun Online. He is most well known for his role as Wolf on British TV endurance sports game show Gladiators, a role he held for eight series (1992-1999). "Cruciate and other spinal and neck injuries — which I found very upsetting, because I thought ‘they need to make this show a safer place to work’”. If you’re moving, then they can’t go, 'Oh, has she really got that on her bum?'. Members of the public are pitted against superfit Gladiators in trials of strength, speed and stamina. Diane Patricia Youdale (born 13 February 1970) is an English television personality, who is best known for her role as "Jet" on the television series Gladiators. The gruelling demands appearing in skimpy costumes on TV meant she kept a strict diet for three months before every series. It wasn't until she was in the ambulance later that her terror subsided when she realised she could still wiggle her fingers and toes. For other inquiries, Contact Us. Jet was one of the original Gladiators and one of the most popular (Image: ITV/REX/Shutterstock). I wanted to leave while I could still walk out of the studio. 09:08 PM - … she says. Youdale is a supporter of Middlesbrough FC. "I just thought ‘I’m out of there’. For instance, Jet could have made the sandwiches, and Cobra might have done the make up. [4], Youdale married and resided for a period in the London area as she trained in psychotherapy. Gladiators legend Diane Youdale, 49, reveals she can still fit into her old Jet costume as she shows off stunning figure in new retro workout video. The yearly live shows were a way of flogging merchandise to fans who couldn't get enough of the TV series — which was watched by around 14million people an episode at its peak — and it was a way of auditioning prospective contenders for the next series. JAMES Crossley became famous as Hunter in ITV’s Gladiators (1992-2000), the hit Saturday night show that pitted the public against super-fit professionals. She'd normally shove the contender off the structure a couple of times before attempting a more spectacular tackle, which was "flying through the air with someone wrapped around you". Gladiators. "But on this occasion," Diane says, "I couldn't". "The fact that I’m flexible meant I didn’t break my neck," Diane says. Caroline Westbrook Wednesday 30 Dec 2015 5:04 pm. And her fans remain extremely loyal to this day, 28 years since her first appearance on the show, travelling from all round the country and queuing for hours at public appearances. When Sky rebooted Gladiators in 2008, producers were anxious to make the programme safer. But her status as a sex symbol did have its drawbacks — she became an object of envy on the show from other Gladiators because she would get disproportionate amounts of airtime. "I'm hitting the big five-zero and just generally love anybody who loved the show," she says. I’m sorry, but that was too close for comfort.". And when I assess somebody when I start a contract with them, I look for how much that might be in the way. The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes.