14 January 2024 , 11:54
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A Gladiators star has spoken of her frustration after a horror injury forced her out of the BBC's reboot.
Ella-Mae Rayner, who was cast as Comet in the show's long-awaited comeback, was tasked with climbing a 30-foot high wall in under a minute in her debut appearance. However, in scenes that won't be aired, the 28-year old broke her ankle and foot and ruptured three ligaments in a shocking incident during filming at Sheffield's Utilia Arena in June.
The cheerleader and gymnast was treated onsite before undergoing an operation to stabilise the broken bones in hospital. Now, after Gladiators made a triumphant return to screens after 24 years last night, Ella-Mae says she is still having physiotherapy as she battles in her return to full fitness.
'Comet' suffered her accident whilst climbing a 30 foot high wall (Instagram)Discussing her accident, Ella-Mae told the Sun: "It just goes to show that we aren’t acting. This isn’t WWE, this is one of the toughest shows on TV. The injury was really, really tough but I had the team around me and everyone was amazing. I couldn’t have asked for a better medical team."
Back in September Ella-Mae took to Instagram to offer her 314,000 followers an update on the progress of her rehabilitation. "It’s been a long and testing past 3 months but it’s taught me the most about myself and my ability to dig deep and step up when times get tough," she enthused. "The comeback is always bigger than the setback."
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Now, she has reiterated her strong stance, telling fans, "Comet is here to stay". She continued: "I am nearly there but it is always going to be an injury I know about. But it is not going to stop me doing what I want to do. You are going face to face and it is contact, so injuries are part and parcel of it."
Last night's show saw contestant Finley suffer an injury of his own, meanwhile, as he prepared to take on Legend. "I twisted my knee. I'm going to come back and recover," he rued as he was escorted backstage. "This is not the end from me, you'll see me again."
It was later revealed he had been assessed by doctors and seemed well enough to continue on. He was cheered on by all the audience, who supported his return as he took on the Hang Tough challenge.
During Hang Tough, the contestants have to get to the Gladiators platform, all whilst using their upper body strength to hang on the rings. However, the contestants will have to get through the Gladiator to get to the other side.
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