Gladiators fans have likened one of this year’s star’s to 90s icon Jet.
The iconic gameshow returned to screens on Saturday (January 13), airing on BBC One with father-son duo Bradley and Barney Walsh at the helm. A new generation of superhumans were introduced and took on two members of the public in gruelling challenges of ultimate strength and agility.
Viewers were floored as blonde bombshell Diamond made her debut. The six-foot tall star was the first female Gladiator to enter the arena, taking on school nurse Tasha Lawrence in original event Duel.
READ MORE: Gladiators 2024 line-up – James Bond villain, Olympians and ‘UK’s fittest man’
READ MORE: Want more TV? Daily Star has just the thing for you!
Diamond, real name Liv Sheldon, can “lift 160kg which is the equivalent of a gorilla.” Voice over Guy Mowbray branded her “The sparkling Diamond,” adding: “Six-foot tall, a footballer turned bodybuilder who has got all the attributes to be a duel winner.”
(Image: BBC)
Viewers immediately took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to compare Diamond to brunette beauty Jet. “#Diamond the new jet?” asked one fan. A second agreed: “Watching Gladiators on bbc1. What a nostalgic throwback. Fun so far with great presentation. Diamond is definitely this generations Jet! Bradley Walsh presenting like the pro he is!”
Another declared: “Diamond is my new jet on #Gladiators.” A fourth shared: “I remember watching Jet and Lightning as a teenager. Will take something special to replicate that talent. Diamond is showing promise!”
(Image: ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
A fifth added: “#Gladiators picking up where the 90s one left off. Whether the likes of Viper, Diamond and Legend capture the imaginations of the great British public the same way Wolf, Jet, Hunter & co did is yet to be seen but it’s a good start.”
Jet made a name for herself in the 90s after becoming one of the show’s original Gladiators, joining at the age of 22. The 53-year-old, real name Diane Youdale, was immediately branded a sex symbol and was known for her impressive performances in several events, particularly Hang Tough.
(Image: ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
During the show’s fourth series, Diane suffered a horrific injury which led to her quitting the gameshow in 1996. The TV personality was participating in the event Pyramid when she tumbled to the ground, landing awkwardly on her neck.
Diane was taken to hospital and admitted her decision to walk away from the series was a “no-brainer”. Speaking on behalf of ICE 36, she said: “After the next few days and weeks I just thought, I’ve done four and a half years, I’ve really loved it, I don’t think I could stand at the top of that pyramid or any of the other big falling events and be quite the same Gladiator that I was at the beginning.”
For more of the latest showbiz news from Daily Star, make sure you sign up to one of our newsletters here.
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
