Gladiators stars forced to pull out of show after being hospitalised
Two Gladiators have had to pull out
Two Gladiators stars have been forced to pull out of the show after suffering injuries. The reboot of the iconic entertainment show is set to return to our TV screens later this year.
Comet and Sabre were due to be joining the show as a part of a new generation of Gladiators, competing against contestants in the ultimate test of speed and strength. However, both of the Gladiators have now had to pull out due to injuries which left one of them hospitalised and needing surgery.
Former elite gymnast Comet, whose real name is Ella-Mae Rayner, took to Instagram to share pictures of her in a hospital bed. In one of the snaps, Ella-Mae's foot is in a cast, whilst another picture shows her on crutches as she hugs her fellow Gladiators cast mates.
Captioning the post, Ella-Mae wrote: ''Life is not about how hard you hit, it’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving’ Right now, this quote couldn’t ring truer. To put this into context, I just wanted to explain my current situation and reasoning behind my social media absence since filming for Gladiators came to an end.
‘During the filming of one of the games I sustained a severe foot injury. Multiple scans and X-rays later I found out that I had broken my ankle and foot in multiple places, including the talus and something known as a lisfranc injury, ruptured 3 ligaments and dislocated a bone. If you’re gonna do it, do it properly right 😅
‘As I write this, I am now resting up following an operation to fix my foot and stabilise the broken bones. I know that the road ahead for recovery is long but my spirits remain high and I still had the time of my life whilst filming Gladiators.'
Fellow Gladiator Sabre, who is called Sheli McCoy, was also forced to pull out. The gym owner and weightlifter from Dundee posted a picture with crutches and her leg bandaged.
Explaining her injury, Sheli wrote: ‘Sometimes you are the hammer … sometimes you are the nail. Whilst filming for Gladiators I incurred a little battle injury – a hamstring tear.
‘Up to that point, every single day was a blessing and every event an unforgettable experience that I would repeat in a second. I’m so thankful for such a phenomenal opportunity and I gave my absolute everything in each event to do justice to such an honour and privilege.’
Gladiators originally aired between 1992 and 2000. BBC bosses are yet to confirm exactly when the show will return to our screens, but it is understood to be airing later this year.
The show will be hosted by father and son duo Bradley and Barney Walsh.
Take a look at the new Gladiators:
Giant (Jamie Christian Johal)
Giant is former firefighter turned bodybuilder. At 6ft 5inches tall, he made history by becoming one of the all-time tallest bodybuilders.
Bionic (Matty Campbell)
At 6ft 6in tall, Bionic gets his name from his huge frame! Bionic found a love for bodybuilding after a car crash ended his dreams of being a professional footballer.
Fury (Jodie Ounsley)
Fury is a professional rugby player! She is the first ever deaf Gladiator.
Comet (Ella-Mae Rayner)
Comet is a former elite gymnast and diver, who also has a degree in Sports Science. She currently works as a fitness model and coach and trains six times per week. Unfortunately, Comet was forced to pull out of series one due to injury.
Electro (Jade Packer)
As a former sprinter, Electro was ranked among the Top 10 Fastest Runners in the UK for 150m at the age of just 12. She's now part of the International Fitness and Bodybuilding Federation.
Phantom (Toby Olubi)
As well as being a sprinter, Phantom appeared at the 2018 Winter Olympics with the Team GB Bobsleigh team where they broke the world record for the fastest ever bobsleigh at 97 mph.
Dynamite (Emily Steel)
As the youngest Gladiator in the line-up, Dynamite has history in swimming, and now she's a full-time elite CrossFit athlete.
Viper (Quang Luong)
Viper has appeared in a number of movies, including James Bond! He also works as a fitness model and a bodybuilder.
Apollo (Alex Gray)
Apollo started his career playing rugby under 16s and moved onto the Premiership and then England 7s team. He captained English Rugby teams for 16's, 18's and 20's.
He was scouted to go to NFL for his skillset, making him the first British rugby player to transfer over to the NFL. Signed for Atlanta Falcons and then became the first international player to Captain an NFL team.
Athena (Karenjeet Kaur Bains)
As well as being an Chartered Accountant, Athena has represented Great Britain at the World and European Championships, and holds the Guinness World Record for the most bodyweight squats in a minute.
Diamond (Livi Sheldon)
Diamond is a 6ft bodybuilder. After graduating with a degree in Sports Science, she took up bodybuilding, becoming a British Finalist 'England Toned Figure'.
Fire (Montell Douglas)
Fire is a former Team GB sprinter and Olympic bobsledder. She has previously held the British women's record for the 100m sprit at 11.05 seconds and made sporting history by becoming the first female UK athlete to compete at both the Summer and Winter Olympic Games. Montell won Commonwealth Gold in the 4 x 100m relay in 2010 and won a European under-23 silver medal in the 100m.
Legend (Matt Morsia)
Legend is a former international long and triple jumper and silver medal winning powerlifter. After retiring from competition, Matt became a fitness influencer and YouTuber, having amassed over 355 million views. In 2020, he released his first book called 'The 24/7 Body.'
Sabre (Sheli McCoy)
Sabre is a fierce, powerful and agile athlete who trains for 16-19 hours per week! She has competed in five British Weightlifting Championships events and numerous CrossFit championships all over the world and has simultaneously been Scottish champion in both sports. Sabre runs her own gym in Dundee, hoping to inspire future generations to reach their full fitness potential.
Unfortunately, Sabre was forced to pull out due to injury.
Nitro (Harry Aikines Aryeetey)
Nitro is a Team GB sprinter who has competed at the highest level. His long list of achievements include: 2 x Olympian, 3 x European Champion, 2x Commonwealth Champion, 1x Commonwealth Silver Medallist, 1x European Bronze Medallist, 1x World Bronze Medallist, 1x British Champion, 2x World Youth Champion, 1x World Junior Champion.
Steel (Zack George)
Steel is a CrossFit champion who also won the title of the UK's Fittest Man in 2020.
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