Gladiators stars look unrecognisable as they hit town for wild night out

19 February 2024 , 11:16

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The stars of Gladiators looked very different as they enjoyed a night out in Manchester over the weekend (Image: @sheli_mccoyofficial/Instagram)

Sheli McCoy, aka Sabre from Gladiators, enjoyed a wild night out with her fellow Gladiators in Manchester over the weekend.

The 35 year old gym owner from Dundee was in the north west to celebrate the birthday of Emily Steel, also known as Dynamite on the BBC show. Sheli took to social media on Sunday to share some snaps with fans following the party - with many rushing to compliment to the unrecognisable Gladiators in their gladrags.

Sheli posed alongside Montell Douglas, aka Fire, and Jade Packer/Electro in one picture, with birthday girl Emily and Quang Luong a.k.a Viper popping up in one group shot. Sheli captioned the collection of pictures: "They know how to throw a party in Manchester ! Happy birthday my little fav @emillysteel."

Gladiators fans are used to seeing Sabre in her lycra uniform (BBC)

But the BBC star got all dressed up for a night out with his co-stars over the weekend (@sheli_mccoyofficial/Instagram)

"10/10 [love heart eye emojis]," Jodie Ounsley aka Fury commented, as Livi Sheldon aka Diamond added: "STUNNING. Such a fun night." Commenting on the snaps of the Gladiators out of character and letting their hair down, one Instagram user quipped: "Rare photo of Viper not looking angry." Another joked: "That’s the closest we’ll get to a smile from Viper."

Sheli went on to share another post dedicated to her night out in Manchester, but appeared solo in her second upload. "Sharing a second picture (but what a picture) today and I’d like to apologise ….. to absolutely nobody. Slay," the 35-year-old declared as she shared the picture of herself posing in a white dress and green coat.

'I started my business with £50 at uni - now it's a multi-million pound empire'

Viper very almost cracked a smile during the night out (@sheli_mccoyofficial/Instagram)

The Gladiators girls enjoyed their night out in Manchester (@sheli_mccoyofficial/Instagram)

The Gladiators star has some serious sporting credentials, being a Scottish champion in five British Weightlifting Championships and setting records in Olympic Weightlifting at the Scottish Championships. The hardworking star also enjoys doing CrossFit and is a champion in it too.

Originally from Windsor, Sheli trains between 16 to 19 hours every week. She's also more than just muscle. She got a masters degree from Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen and heads her own gym in Dundee. She also works as an online coach, personal trainer and sports rehabilitation therapist.

The Gladiators star shared a series of snaps on her Instagram page (@sheli_mccoyofficial/Instagram)

Gladiators fans loved seeing their idols dressed to the nines for the night out (@sheli_mccoyofficial/Instagram)

Ahead of Gladiators premiering last month, Sheli said: "I truly hope Sabre will inspire and empower the younger generation of strong capable females just as the Gladiators I once watched inspired me to be a confident athletic women," adding, "It is Sabre's time to shine - here come the powerful girls." "It's a dream come true," Sheli admitted before filming the BBC show, going on to say, "I'll be taking part in the old, iconic games my mum and I once watched and I can't wait to attack the new ones with her watching."

Gladiators has been a huge success since gracing our screens earlier this year, with Bradley Walsh and his son Barney hosting the BBC reboot. Not only had the revitalised franchasire launched the careers of a new era of Gladiators, it's also helped boost the bank balance of Holly Willoughby's husband Dan Baldwin.

Fans of the BBC show loved seeing the Gladiators out of their usual gym gear (@sheli_mccoyofficial/Instagram)

Not only is Dan one of the executive producers of the Saturday night hit, but he also profits from his talent agency which represents almost all of the new Gladiators. These stars are currently some of the most popular on TV, with over eight million viewers tuning in each week.

Out of the 16 new Gladiators, 12 are signed to Dan's agency, Hungry Bear Talent. This means he gets a share of their future earnings as their fame continues to grow after their impressive performances on the show. Among those signed with Dan are Alex Gray (Apollo), Emily Steele (Dynamite), Olympic sprinter Harry Aikines-Aryeetey (Nitro), and Jamie Christian Johal (Giant).

An insider recently praised Dan's "clever" decision to set up the agency, saying: "Dan made the reboot with his company, sold it to the BBC for a lot of money and now he has shrewdly signed up some of its most popular young stars..Whatever they make now, he will get extra money via the management company.

Dan founded Hungry Bear Media in 2014, and in the past decade has grown to become one of the most successful production companies in the UK. His company is also responsible for BBC entertainment show, Michael McIntyre's Big Show and ITV's Breaking Dad, which features Gladiators hosts Bradley and Barney Walsh.

Zoe Delaney