‘I was taunted as a girl because I’m muscly – now I’m a Gladiator’

Three stars of the BBC reboot reveal what it’s like to be seen as ‘superheroes’ (Picture: BBC)

‘When I watched the original series, the women were so unapologetically athletic – it wasn’t taboo.’

In the 1990s, kids and adults across the UK were left in awe by the incredible athleticism of the stars of Gladiators.

They oozed charisma, entertained the masses with larger-than-life personalities and boasted huge muscles – which, for many young girls watching (including this writer), marked the first time they’d seen muscly women not only celebrated, but idolised on TV. And it meant a lot.

Last year, while the second season of the BBC reboot was being filmed in Sheffield, Metro had the chance to visit the set, during which we and other media spoke to some fan-favourite Gladiators.

The ferocious Sabre, the powerful Fury and the stellar Comet each told us how much it meant to become role models for young girls by demonstrating how physically capable powerful women can be – with Sabre explaining that it was her ‘main reason’ for wanting to take part.

‘I have never felt like I was destined for any sort of limelight TV role,’ said Sabre, whose real name is Sheli McCoy.

Sabre shared how much the original series inspired her (Picture: BBC/Graeme Hunter/Hungry Bear Media Ltd/David MacCormack)

‘Before I became a Gladiator I was the girl I wanted to be – I ran a gym, I inspired people one to one. That’s what I felt my calling was. But when they told me that there would be a platform to be inspirational, motivational and educational to a wider audience of females, that’s why I said yes.’

Sabre recalled how she was taunted when she was younger because of her physique, stating: ‘I’m quite short and I am stacked. Throughout school, I was called a man because I was athletic. I had a lower voice because I had glandular fever as a teenager.

‘When I watched the original series, all these women were so unapologetically athletic, and they won and they were celebrated for it. It wasn’t taboo that women could be athletic and beat boys.’

She emphasised how she wanted to be ‘part of that force that led women into understanding their own empowerment’ by joining the cast of Gladiators, in a society where often women feel pressured to shrink themselves and shy away from building muscle.

‘You can be fit and able, you can have a six pack, you can have bigger shoulders in your boyfriend and that’s okay,’ she said.

‘I have nieces, I’m godmother to nine kids, and seven of them are girls. It’s really, really important to me that I continue the narrative that women can be unapologetically athletic and you can still be feminine. They can still wear dresses and they can be pretty. I have a teddy bear and I’m okay with that. Because I could also kill you with one punch.’

Fury, a former rugby sevens international player, outlined how the cast of Gladiators didn’t expect the incredible reaction that they received from children who watch the programme, and how ‘they genuinely see us almost as superheroes’.

‘We all take a lot of pride in being strong women,’ Fury said (Picture: BBC/James Stack/Hungry Bear Media Ltd/Nick Eagle)

We can’t wait to see what the new series has in store (Picture: Nick Eagle/BBC/Hungry Bear)

Being in the crowd watching the taping of Gladiators after our interviews, that couldn’t have been more clear from the way the young spectators screamed for their favourites and held up posters hoping to be spotted during filming.

‘I know we all take a lot of pride in that: in being strong women, being physical, but then you can also be still very much feminine, enjoy being the girly girl you might want to be,’ said Fury, real name Jodie Ounsley, who’s also the first ever Deaf Gladiator.

‘Obviously we’re all from different sporting backgrounds, all different personalities and kids can see that and relate to us. It’s just really nice that we have a platform to do that, and we are grateful we can do it as well.’

Comet, whose time on season one of the Gladiators reboot was cut short due to an injury, is back and raring to go for the second time around.

Comet is making a comeback after suffering an injury (Picture: BBC/James Stack/Hungry Bear Media Ltd/Nick Eagle)

The athlete, real name Ella-Mae Rayner, emphasised how important it is that on the series, they place a spotlight on ‘such a diverse range of body shapes’.

‘We’re all so athletic or muscular, but in our own way. I think that’s amazing, to see these people on screen and you can look up to them, especially for the younger generation. Ot’s so, so important,’ she said.

‘Like, we eat food, we train hard, we have muscles, but then I can wear makeup and I can be girly and I can go shopping and do everything that I want to do, and like Sabre says, we can get you down with one punch.

‘It’s a really special position to be in and I’m so grateful that we get to do that. We get to show people how strong you can be and feminine at the same time.’

Gladiators returns on Saturday January 18 at 5.50pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

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