Gladiators legend Jet’s estranged wife slams TV bosses’ decision to let the ‘self-confessed domestic abuser’ return to show

Gladiators star Jet’s estranged wife has slammed the decision to allow a ‘confessed domestic abuser’ to appear on live television.

Jet, whose real name is Diane Youdale, endured an ill-fated 18-month marriage to Zoe Gilbert that ended in bad blood, with both women admitting the whole thing was a disaster.

The 90s pin-up, 54, admitted that he also had a drinking problem and attacked his wife, 51, because he felt she was being bullied by him.

Meanwhile, Zoe hit back, saying she has been suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder since her time with the star.

He now says he is “horrified” to welcome Jet back to the fold at the Gladiator Experience, held at the NEC in Birmingham from May to the end of August.

Speaking exclusively to the Daily Mail, Zoe, from Stockton-on-Tees, County Durham, said: ‘I was shocked to learn that Diane had been allowed back into the Gladiators show and was also amazed that the BBC would want her anywhere near this show.

‘If this was a man behaving like him there would be outrage and they wouldn’t be allowed anywhere near a family show like Gladiators.

‘Even if you take Diane’s word for it, she admits to physically assaulting me. But the truth is much worse than he tells.’

Zoe (pictured) said she has suffered from PTSD since her time with the star

Zoe made a series of allegations against Diane (pictured) during their traumatic time together

Indeed, new details of their disastrous relationship emerged when it was revealed that Zoe had attempted to press charges against Diane last year for beating her during a domestic violence incident at their home in October 2023.

Zoe claims Diane threatened to ‘kill’ her during a traumatic phone call in November last year.

He said: ‘I was so glad I wasn’t around him at that moment because I know what he can do with that much anger in his voice.’

In the incident in 2023, neighbors had to intervene after hearing Zoe’s cries for help, as the former Gladiator forced her to the ground, claiming that she had “stab-like” wounds on her back.

Police were called and Diane was advised to leave the semi-detached home they shared in Stockton-on-Tees – but Zoe refused to press charges at the time.

She said: ‘We hadn’t been married for long and I foolishly thought we could work things out.

‘The walls of the house were covered in blood and I was left with all kinds of injuries, although I was so scared I couldn’t remember clearly what happened.

‘In December last year, I asked for the case to be examined and submitted all the photographs as evidence.

‘Officers eventually advised me that due to the passage of time and the fact that I had not initially chosen to lay charges, there was little chance of the CPS laying charges.’

Diane called Zoe’s claims ‘ridiculous’.

She said: ‘Unfortunately Zoe is a fantasist, she bullied me about my past and unfortunately she is self-destructive. I believe this was also true of his childhood.

‘So it was impossible to live with him and I felt as if I was being followed and tricked and trapped (again).

‘It’s a terrible period of my life that should be left in the past. I don’t need to be re-traumatized.’

Diane made a career as a wholesome ’90s pin-up who inspired a legion of male and female fans due to her athletic ability and girl-next-door image.

Zoe says she was ‘gaslit and manipulated’ by the one-time TV star throughout her marriage.

And she claims that Diane used Zoe’s troubled childhood and her pain from familial loss against her.

‘I was traumatized by my mother’s physical abuse and neglect during my childhood,’ Zoe said.

His three brothers all died tragically young, the last in December 2021, and all he was left with were precious family photos.

Zoe said: ‘One day I came home to find Diane cutting up pictures and making them into collages.

‘It was something he thought I should be grateful for, but I was so upset. The pictures meant a lot to me and he didn’t ask.

‘When I complained he got very angry and threw a souvenir glass made for my brother at the veranda door and broke it.’

The couple eventually split for good in July 2024, and Zoe claims Diane quickly moved on to a new man.

Jet, from the original 90s series, went through a highly publicized and ‘toxic’ divorce from wife Zoe Gilbert.

In July 2023, Diane publicly revealed her relationship with Zoe, catching many fans off guard as they had previously assumed the former Gladiator was straight.

She said: ‘He FaceTimed me while she was there but then said ‘No, I’d better not, she’s naked.’

‘Another time he told me he was crawling naked on her landing.

‘We were still technically married at this point, and I was still suffering from anxiety and pain from our marriage. ‘I felt like I was being made fun of.’

Diane is now believed to be living in the Scottish Borders and continues to run her own psychotherapy practice, offering first appointments for £65.

He will join original Gladiators show stars Hunter, Saracen and Lightning on the live show in May and will continue to host the Gladiators’ GladPod podcast.

Diane previously admitted that she was taken away by the police on a night in 2023 when her neighbors called the police.

He explained: ‘She (Zoe) fell behind the sofa. I pressed his chest hard three times and said, ‘stop doing this now.’ I can’t do it

Remember what happened next. Next thing I knew I was being taken out by the police.’

Diane said she felt suicidal following her arrest.

‘He pushed me to my limits to suddenly make me the bad guy, which is obvious now. “I didn’t do any of it,” Diane told the Daily Mail in an interview last year.

He claimed I picked him up from the top of the stairs and threw him to the ground, but if anything, I have a ruptured disc.

‘I would only lay hands on an angry person if he was attacking an underage animal or an animal or if he was acting in self-defense and I never acted in self-defense in his presence. This was the last moment between us.’

Despite personal turmoil in 2025, Hunter is currently preparing for a major Gladiator Experience event at the NEC in Birmingham alongside other 90s icons such as Saracen and Lightning.

The shock of his relationship falling apart caused him to stop drinking.

‘I quit drinking in 2024 and haven’t touched a drop since. I’m very proud of myself for this.

‘I could see what this was doing to me and I stopped overnight, it served no purpose in my life and I needed to be strong enough and clear enough to put all my facts in the right place.

‘It was a terrible demoralizer and I can’t believe I did this to myself for so long.

He claims the pair drank every night and the fights started around the same time, often stemming from Zoe’s concerns about her former partners and current colleagues.

Diane said: ‘Usually the same record was released between 21.00 and 21.30. “And I would say, ‘Zoe, this is starting to happen again, please stop it,’” Diane said.

‘He accused me of sleeping with all my clients, all my friends, can you imagine me being accused of that? ‘He never understood me and never celebrated anything about the victories and successes in my life.’

Diane announced in July 2023 that she was in a relationship with Zoe, surprising fans as they thought she was straight.

In fact, she was previously married to TV executive George Mayhew and also dated fellow Gladiator Hunter, whose real name was James Crossley, during the show’s heyday.

Diane told how she and Zoe met in a supermarket; It’s a sweet story that captured the public’s imagination after the couple proudly told Lorraine viewers about their chance encounter.

After the bitter split, Diane claimed Zoe staged the moment and likened it to being chased by a ‘wolf’.

He claimed: ‘It was no coincidence we met… research had been done. He knew about my past relationships. It was spooky and strange.

Following their final split in July 2024, Zoe claimed that Diane wasted no time in starting a new relationship with a man.

This was planned by him from the beginning, he knew where and when I would be in the supermarket. ‘I was so naive.’

Zoe said: ‘It was really painful to read what he said. How could I look into something like this, it seemed like just that, it was a chance encounter and it was Diane who started the conversation by asking my name.

‘It was clear there was an attraction there and I eventually asked her out. I can’t believe you’ve turned this into something so unpleasant now, it’s simply not right.’