Jet from Gladiators describes moment her neck 'snapped' in freak accident on show
Diane Youdale was 22 when she became a national TV favourite as the cartwheeling Gladiator Jet but she was almost killed in a freak accident at Wembley Stadium
Jet from Gladiators had a special place in the hearts of a certain generation of TV viewers but there was a moment when she almost lost her life while performing as the beloved character.
Gladiators was huge in the 90s and Diane Youdale has recalled the moment in her 20s when she cracked her neck that ended her career on the show.
After turning 50 this week, Diane has said that she feels lucky to be alive after the sickening accident.
As a 22-year-old, she was the object of desire for teenage boys everywhere, cartwheeling on to our TV screens as one of the almost indestructible Gladiators.
In 1996 it all came crashing down around her ears, almost literally, as Diane suffered a near fatal fall from a giant pyramid as part of the show.
After grappling with one of the contenders, who were testing themselves against the abilities of the Gladiators, Diane landed awkwardly and felt her neck crack.
Speaking to The Sun, Diane said she had her contender "in my arms in a rugby tackle," before they went "flying through the air."
This was during an untelevised live version of the show at the Old Wembley Stadium.
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The landing proved to be problematic and Diane explained: "By the time I hit the floor at the bottom of the pyramid, my head was in the way."
On landing she knew there was a problem with her neck as she had "heard that snap before."
At the age of 26, Diane was worrying that it was all over for her after she fell from the top of the pyramid.
With around 14 million viewers every week, being a Gladiator almost guaranteed household name status.
Diane as Jet was one of the top performers but in one fall it was over.
She explained that normally when tackling a contender, she would look to 'manipulate' the fall so that no-one gets hurt.
She admits: "But on this occasion. I couldn't".
Diane landed "literally pencil-point down" and remembers thing "Have I broken my neck?" as she lay prone on the floor, with the audience stunned into silence.
Taken by ambulance to hospital, Diane was pleased to find after a while that she could still move her fingers and toes and doctors revealed she had compressed her spinal cord - commenting that she was lucky to be alive at all.
Diane said that being so "bendy" and flexible had saved her from breaking her neck, with medics fearing the had suffered the fatal 'hangman break'.
This is the fracture that prisoners killed by hanging would receive.
The pyramid was banned by producers of the show and Diane was left to reflect that she could have been left paralysed if not dead.
Diane had a choice and she recalls: "I made that choice, and that was to leave.
"I just thought ‘I’m out of there’. I’m sorry, but that was too close for comfort."
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