Gladiators legend Jet reveals why behind the scenes romances were inevitable
Gladiators star Diane Youdale, best known to fans as Jet, has opened up on why it's no surprise the cast had romances behind the scenes.
Diane Youdale insists having such a "beautiful, attractive" cast on Gladiators was bound to lead to romance.
The 56-year-old star appeared as Jet on the original ITV game show in the 1990s, and she ended up in a relationship fellow Gladiator James Crossley (Hunter) before he started dating host Ulrika Jonsson.
Diane told Closer UK: "We're all beautiful, attractive people and I guess where there's a lot of fitness and single people, it's going to happen.
"So there were some very legitimate, lovely relationships.
"I dated James, then Ulrika ended up with him, which was fine with me. I'm still really good friends with him."
The show ran from 1992 to 2000 before a short-lived reboot in 2008, while the BBC's 2024 revival is still going strong.
Diane added: "It's wholesome, honest TV, harking back to ancient Greece when men were pitted in combat and seen as entertainment.
"We're still doing it, just in a fancy big arena with cameras and lycra."
She will soon be reunited with James and their fellow former castmates Kim Betts (Lightning) and Mike Lewis (Saracen) as they support the contenders at the live Gladiators Experience in Birmingham.
She said: "I love working with James. He's funny and very inspirational.
"The ultimate all-round female Gladiator is Lightning. Kim is fabulous and in great shape. She just lives for fitness."
And while Diane is still in shape as a Pilates and fitness teacher, she would have to think carefully about which events she'd be able to try three decades on from her stint on the show,
She explained: "There's a couple of events I could still thrash, like Hang Tough and The Wall. I wouldn't want to go up against our new Gladiators, though it depends who we're up against!
"As I get older, I realise the importance of remaining fit and healthy at my age, and I think it's a privilege.
But I wouldn't do high falls because they're too risky for injury and you don't bounce back as well in your mid fifties."
