The Secret Obsession that Propelled Gladiators’ Diamond Livi Sheldon to BBC Reboot Stardom

Gladiator Livi Sheldon has spoken for the first time about becoming the breakout star of the new show, saying: ‘To be compared to an icon like Jet is just incredible.’

The bodybuilder – aka Diamond – reveals that she used to watch the BBC series – then on ITV – obsessively when she was growing up in the West Midlands.

She would be glued to re-runs after school, which served as an escape from the playground bullies that made fun of her height and tomboy nature.

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Livi always dreamed of becoming like her heroines from the 1990s instalment, Lightning and Jet.

And now her fantasy is becoming a reality as fans hail her as the most glamorous member of the new series.

Gladiator Livi Sheldon, aka Diamond, has revealed how her childhood obsession with the original show inspired her to become the reboot’s breakout star

She said: ‘To be compared to an icon like Jet [Diane Youdale, pictured] is just incredible’

In an exclusive interview, Livi, 29, revealed: ‘I used to watch Gladiators with my mum when I was a child – the re-runs – and I was just obsessed with it.

‘I would watch it every day when I got back from school and I always thought, I would love to be up there.

‘My favourites were Lightning and Jet and I loved the pure competitiveness and the big personalities, also the challenges. I kept thinking, I can do that.

‘Having those role models and having someone to look up to – because I was very sporty as a child and a lot of girls weren’t – and seeing these strong, empowered women, it stayed with me for the whole of my life.

‘It drove me to get into fitness and it was something I would always refer back to.

‘But never did I expect to actually be a Gladiator, so doing this now is a dream come true.’

Livi’s spandex-clad, 6ft tall frame certainly caught the eye when she made her Gladiators debut last month.

With her biceps measuring 36cm and showing off the legs that are capable of deadlifting 160kg – the equivalent weight of a gorilla – she proved an immediate hit with viewers who compared her to Jet, real name Diane Youdale.

The show proved to Livi that it was possible to be tall and feminine, as she faced bullying for her height as a child

One fan wrote on social media: ‘That diamond was CUT,’ while another commented: ‘Diamond is pretty ain’t she?’

Livi, from Worcester, happily accepts that her role is to inject some much needed sparkle into the mounds of muscle.

She said: ‘Diamond is strong, powerful and versatile and she’s also unbreakable.

‘She likes shining bright up there and she is one hundred percent bringing the glamour to the show. You’ve got to have a bit of glamour.’

But she added: ‘I want to be a role model and show girls that you can be powerful and kick ass basically, and that you can have muscles and still be feminine.

‘If people say you can’t have muscles and still be feminine, I completely disagree with that.

‘I definitely want to inspire women to become interested in training because it can make you more confident and it can give you more control over your physique.

‘Like you say, there can be a stigma with women having muscle, but not as much as there has been in the past. I think having muscle is extremely feminine.’

It was a lack of confidence that drove Livi into the gym in the first place. From the start of primary school, she was picked on every day.

She said: ‘I was bullied for being different. I was a tomboy who played football and was taller than the other girls.

‘There were many times I would go home in tears.

‘I would love to say that I ignored them, but when you are being bullied every day that’s a hard thing to do.

‘I never had a fight although there might have been words exchanged.

‘Luckily, I don’t see the bullies now, even though I live in my hometown. One did message me recently wanting to arrange a high school reunion and to be honest, I ignored it.

‘I don’t see a reason to ever speak to them again.

‘I can thank them because maybe if I hadn’t been bullied, I wouldn’t have pushed myself to be the strong, powerful person I am today.

Diamond stunned on her Gladiators debut, earning her the comparisons with some of the icons of the past

The bodybuilder shared her transformation from an 18 year old (left) to now, over a decade later, on Instagram 

She added: ‘I definitely want to inspire women to become interested in training because it can make you more confident and it can give you more control over your physique’

Livi first took an interest in bodybuilding in 2012 when she was at university studying sports science with a view to becoming a PE teacher 

‘I threw myself into sport and that helped me gain my confidence back and it gave me a purpose.

‘Watching Gladiators, they became my role models. They showed me that being tall and powerful is amazing and I didn’t have to feel bad about it.

‘My uniqueness is my superpower and it is what makes Diamond, Diamond. She is a 6ft force to be reckoned with.’

Livi first took an interest in bodybuilding in 2012 when she was at university studying sports science with a view to becoming a PE teacher.

She initially hit the gym in a bid to lose weight having struggled with what she describes as ’emotional eating’, binging on pizza and chocolate, when she was feeling down.

However, after a time, she became more interested in bulking up and she competed on the bodybuilding circuit for a year.

She says she can understand why some people have concerns about a sport that is riddled with steroid abuse.

She said: ‘Obviously there are extremes out there. For me, bodybuilding was always about creating the best physique I could.

‘You have to remember that it is a sport and you are working on it 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

‘I don’t see it as different to any other sport except when you get down to a low body fat percentage, when you compete, and have to go up on stage.

‘But with a good coach there are a lot of body builders out there that are very healthy.’

She now works out for at least an hour a day, six times a week. She tries to eat 190g of protein every day, but will still indulge in the odd treat.

She added: ‘You have to eat to grow and I enjoy my chocolate and my sweets.

‘I have 60g of porridge with about 20g of dark chocolate and Greek yoghurt in the morning. Greek yoghurt is a great source of protein.

‘Then I will have a chicken wrap or chicken bagel for lunch. I will have a pre-workout snack like a bagel with jam or a bowl of cereal, Frosties for example. I absolutely love Frosties.

‘If I’m doing a big leg training session, I will have a 70g bowl of Frosties to give me fuel. There is no bad food out there. You are eating to achieve your goals.

‘Everyone thinks that bodybuilders eat chicken and rice and that is it. Don’t get me wrong, when you are competing it is a lot stricter, but I’ve got a physique now that I can maintain with more flexibility in my diet.

‘I’m obsessed with gnocchi with chicken and pesto, that is one of my favourite meals.

‘Occasionally I will have a couple of chocolates for pudding or some Greek yoghurt with protein powder. I love pick and mix from the cinema, especially the little blue bubble gum bottles. That’s a guilty pleasure.’

The 1990s version of Gladiators ended up being mired in scandal with tales of affairs, steroid abuse and cocaine addiction shocking fans.

The new stars are being regularly drug tested by producers, according to reports.

Livi said that her diet tends to consist of porridge, a chicken bagel or wrap, gnocchi with chicken and pesto as well as the occasional bowl of Frosties

She said she is loving being on the series, and that ‘the whole team is like a big family now’. Pictured with Athena (left) and Electro (centre)

Livi said: ‘We have a good support network around us and are going to have that throughout the show.

‘The whole team is like a big family now and it was so much fun getting to know the other Gladiators.

‘We train together and have meals together and we have the occasional meet up.

‘The response to the show has been extremely flattering – getting six million viewers on a Saturday night – and to be compared to an icon like Jet is just incredible.

‘I can’t wait to see what is coming next.’