Jet: The Most Popular UK Gladiator drops a MAJOR BOMB

[00:00:00] Intro: welcome to Chilling With Ice with me, Lori Fetrick, or most of you know me as Ice from the American Gladiators. Thank you for joining me on this podcast where we're gonna dive in and go behind the scenes on the number one hit iconic show of the nineties. It's time to get up close and personal on what drove us to be gladiators, what challenges we faced, and how we overcame to reach all of our.

[00:00:28] Intro: I know in this first season, inquiring minds wanna know, was their drama fight hookups? Are we all still friends? What did we do in our personal lives? And how are we staying in such good shape years later? Well, stay right here and let's get into chilling with ice.

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[00:01:32] Lori: Okay, let's dive in.

[00:01:35] Lori: Welcome back to Chilling with Ice. And on today's episode, I have an amazing gladiator, but I had to go all the way over to the UK to find her.

[00:01:47] Lori: And if you're a Gladiator fan, everybody knows who this woman is. And I have my little nickname for her. And that is Jet. Jet baby. Ah, Diane Del,

[00:02:03] Lori: how are you this morning? I say this morning because it's 10 o'clock my time. But you're way, what is it? Six o'clock your time right now?

[00:02:11] Jet: It's six o'clock Sunday evening.

[00:02:13] Jet: Yeah, I'm ok. Yeah, I've just been so looking forward to this and I'll catch up.

[00:02:18] Lori: So thank you. I know, me too. We had to catch up on a podcast of all things, you know. Okay. So I am gonna, I'm gonna let the, the American audience, I have an array of things that you've done. So you just sit back and, and just listen to this because I've been listening to The GLAD Pod, which is the UK version podcast of what I'm doing over here right now.

[00:02:41] Lori: And if you haven't listened to the GLAD Pod, go to iTunes. I know it's on all this Spotify and everything. It's called Glad Pod and it's an amazing podcast. But this woman here, I was listening to it and I was on YouTube and I saw all these things. So you have done so much in your life. It's unbelievable.

[00:03:00] Lori: So here's just a few of the things that Diane UDel Jet from the Gladiators has done, and that is, she's a gymnast, she's a dancer, she's an actor, she's a fitness competitor, a host, a podcaster, an aerobic instructor, a dance instructor, a singer. She plays the flute, a showman, and now she's a psychologist.

[00:03:22] Lori: But overall, she was a gladiator in the uk. That is a list of things that you have done in your life. I mean, girl, you should just be so incredibly proud of what you have accomplished. Oh,

[00:03:40] Jet: I try to be, and I'm gonna be, uh, slightly self efface and say, I don't, no, I can't. All that list is like huge. Uh, I guess the biggest thing I've been doing as a psychotherapist for the last, oh, 23 years since my accident on gladiators.

[00:03:56] Jet: Um, okay. It just yeah, it just took me back to what I really wanted to do from being a child. So, yeah.

[00:04:04] Lori: Really? So since you were a child, you wanted be a psych? Is it a psych You're a psychol. I, we call it a psychologist over here. You call, I hear, I hear you say a psychotherapist. Is there a difference?

[00:04:17] Jet: There is. So a psychologist. Often be an academic who is looking at, um, field studies, uh, case studies and arresting into academia. Whereas a psychotherapist, like a counselor, um, we do face-to-face and actually do go alongside the journey with another person. And that's exactly what I wanted to do. But I do love the science behind the, the psychology of it all.

[00:04:42] Jet: And I've been wanting to do that since I was a child. And I think my accident, I'm glad, which you'll come to, um, kind of helped me do that. Cause I'd saved up enough money to go back to university and study.

[00:04:53] Lori: Yes. Oh, that's so cool. Wow. Yeah. So are you, are you still dancing? Are you still doing any kind of co choreography?

[00:05:02] Lori: I know that's a big passion of yours.

[00:05:05] Jet: I'm 53. I mean, Dance and perform. The hair can flip, the body can move. But no, I can still put together routines and choreograph for other people. Um, and I love going to dance Zuber and still teach. Um, but as for myself as the performer, The days have gone.

[00:05:26] Lori: How about your singing?

[00:05:27] Lori: How about, how about that fantastic singing career that you had?

[00:05:33] Jet: Stop it. I was never a singer, you know, that I can hold a tube. I like to be in a chorus, but never solo. I was kind of pushed into it. As soon as Muff Murphy, can you hear the voice, but the gladiators and all that, I'm like, you can sing. I'm gonna write an album for you and I'll, I, I wrote a couple of songs.

[00:05:53] Jet: Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry. American audience, but that's an English term.

[00:06:01] Lori: Yeah, but you know what? That the one video that I remember, I mean, it was awesome. Come on. You had a, you had to have a good time with that video,

[00:06:12] Jet: so you want me to be da da da da da da. That one?

[00:06:15] Lori: Yeah, I think so. Exactly. I remember, uh, I went with you once and you were doing it like kind of a live type of singing thing.

[00:06:25] Lori: I'm not quite sure where it was. It was after Gladiators. But look at you, you're, you like, totally remember that.

[00:06:34] Lori: And by the way, yes. I am wearing the gladiator t-shirt to represent you guys today. That's amazing. Is that the British? Yes, this is, this is the British. This is the British Glad T-shirt. Up

[00:06:49] Jet: the arms so you can show your arms off still

[00:06:52] Lori: from me on. Of course, I have a list of questions, but I know we're not gonna get through all of them today.

[00:07:00] Lori: Um, I guess what, um, I mean obviously you, you UK knows this, but let's, let's go into the American version and that is, how did Gladiators find you or how did you find gladiators?

[00:07:13] Jet: I'd been in a kind of a fitness magazine and there was some pictures of me and I think one of the producers and Andrew Norgate had followed the lead.

[00:07:22] Jet: Uh, we were talking like 30 years ago when like media links and leads were very hard and he found a, a video of me doing a, a figure fitness. So I was three cartwheeling back, some assaulting, and I was cut. Very cut and very in condition. And I just got a phone call out of the blue saying, um, this is Andrew Norgate from L WT was London Weekend Television.

[00:07:44] Jet: Uh, we'd like to speak to Di. And I'm like, okay.

[00:07:51] Jet: I'd say headhunted, but I was like, body actually. Right. And that was it. And then the next thing I knew I was, um, upper Woolwich Barracks, which is a big, uh, army, uh, barracks in the south of London, uh, doing the army assault course. I loved it. Uh, and the gym test, which I just sailed through. Yeah. And, and the funny thing was though, I don't think there was many other girls at the time that could actually do it.

[00:08:20] Jet: So I think they selected me by like, you know, by negativity whim, like.

[00:08:28] Jet: I'm like, got nobody else.

[00:08:35] Jet: Right?

[00:08:36] Lori: Um, but I mean, come on, look what came out of that. I mean, maybe I don't, don't even, don't even sell yourself short on that. Are you kidding? I mean, come on. Beautiful athletic, you could do anything. I mean, why wouldn't they choose you? That was just, it was an amazing, I know I've, I've heard your story on your tryouts and everything and so it's, it's funny how that happened, but, um, how many girls did you think that were at your tryouts?

[00:09:07] Lori: Possibly around two. Oh gosh, I'm kidding.

[00:09:16] Jet: Not far wrong

[00:09:22] Jet: girls.

[00:09:26] Jet: You're not honestly, you joke, but it's true man.

[00:09:30] Lori: Wow. But that's, that's, that is so amazing. So now, when you tried out and they, they, they chose you, did you know what you were in for? Did you see the American version first before you tried out

[00:09:47] Jet: Briefly? Um, I, I'd watched you guys, um, uh, I think in the middle of the night at like two o'clock in the morning about two shows thinking, I think I had a, the Indian Curry takeaway or something, and I was just like watching going, what, what, what is this?

[00:10:08] Jet: So when they did, I had at least an idea. So when they called me and I did the tryouts, I thought I was gonna be a contender. And I went, oh, we want you to be a glad. So I had seen you. Oh, amazing. I was like, no way that's finished. That's too much. And they said, we gladiator.

[00:10:26] Jet: I'm

[00:10:26] Jet: like, really?

[00:10:32] Jet: Why? I thought was,

[00:10:35] Jet: no, we need you. Like, and they did say to me at the time, they said, um, can you get bigger? I'm like, I can try

[00:10:47] Jet: at least year

[00:10:47] Jet: training heavy weights. oh, honestly, it, it was a schlep. But they were like, no, we need you. We need you. At least we've got one female cla.

[00:10:59] Lori: Oh, I, it's, it's so crazy. So I know it, it, it is, it's like the whole journey. Did you even remotely think. That your character and you were gonna take off.

[00:11:14] Lori: And literally, and I'm gonna say this and I know you're super shy and super kind of, because I've listened to your, your interviews, you're very humble about this. But yes, you were the most popular gladiator over there. You know it, you know it in your heart. I know it's hard to like come to that, but did you really think that your character was gonna take off and do that?

[00:11:37] Lori: No,

[00:11:37] Jet: not at all. Of, of course, I think Wolf was probably, can I do that again? I think Wolf was the, the most popular and I think on the female side initially, there was something about me, um, that the British public, uh, liked. I think it's cause I flicked my hair a lot

[00:11:59] Lori: and, and wait, and the foot that goes over the head.

[00:12:05] Jet: And, um, yeah, and also the boobs up in the bra and, and yeah, something about the smile and the giddiness and just, again, being a bit self evasive because, you know, the British public, um, don't like, oh, I'm gonna win. I'm gonna take you down it. I knew that that wouldn't work. Um, but that was just instinctive.

[00:12:25] Jet: That wasn't just about me kind of analyzing it. Um, I just think there was something about being really honest in the arena as you well know yourself. Um, your arena was a bit smaller by the time it came over to England. We had this huge, huge, was it 9,000 live in the arena? Um, these huge big rigs and these big sets, and about nine cameras filming at every second of each moment.

[00:12:51] Jet: So they capture every angle. Um, you couldn't hide anywhere and you, you just had to kind of be. Be present and be who you are. Um, and even with the show that's coming back on the bbc, which we'll probably come to as well, um, all I say is just let them be themselves. Let them form their own character because the camera doesn't lie.

[00:13:12] Jet: Um, yeah, if you, if you're happy and honest with your own bravado and mine was to be a bit shy, uh, and giggly and hair flicky and nervous, and just do flip claps and some assault so the camera can't watch your bum.

[00:13:27] Lori: You had a sex appeal to you though you had a very, very big sex appeal that what was sexy about it is that you weren't even trying.

[00:13:37] Lori: And when you don't try, You have that smile and you have that body. It just, and you, and the way that you perceived yourself. Everybody loved it. And that's why your character took off. You're just amazing on camera. No matter how you tried to hide or not, you were amazing on camera. Now let's get into, I was gonna say yes, explain to, you know, my American audience, what your arena was like.

[00:14:04] Lori: Because see, the American audience, I mean, all we know is being in the studio, we maybe had 200 people in our audience now. Oh, you're, you're, when you were filming, it was like for us, going out on tour and actually competing in the arenas, Madison Square Gardens and all that. But you guys did this on a daily basis.

[00:14:27] Lori: I mean, explain to my audience what that was like, how many people you performed in front of and just the energy.

[00:14:35] Jet: Gosh. Um, so that, that would've been one of my questions back to you. I know it's, you're questioning me, but that's all good. The shooting lot from where you went to, to suddenly going to this huge like, uh, cathedral like vacuous, cosmic kind of place of, of performing, um, That must have felt really weird, but for us, it was our first vote.

[00:15:00] Jet: It's what we knew. Um, and I guess, I think because you're so super focused on the event and your contender itself, you, you kind of, for me as a performer before glads, um, you just focus in on what you're doing and make sure you do it really well. So for me it was, it didn't matter whether there was two people watching or 2000 people watching live, let alone at the end of the camera.

[00:15:24] Jet: And then again, in England we didn't have very many TV channels, so people were kindled kinda into, into having to watch glads on a Saturday night. So it became very popular, but I guess. I guess for me it just, yeah, it didn't, it didn't really affect me that much. But I was thinking about you earlier and I was thinking for many reasons, um, just about how that must have been going from a shooting lot to suddenly going into these big, like Madison Gardens arenas and what was that like?

[00:15:53] Jet: And I'm sorry to

[00:15:53] Lori: throw it back to you. No, uh, come on, you're a podcaster. Are you kidding? You can, we can go back and forth. It's all good. So it's interesting for us, um, I think, okay, I can't remember if we came to you before our tour or after the tour. I wanna say we came to you before the tour. Yeah. You know, we came back to England.

[00:16:16] Lori: So your arena, believe it or not, was the first arena we actually competed in with that nine. Did it, did it hold 9,000 you said? Yeah. Okay. So that was the first time we were actually in front of 9,000 people and Wow. For us going from a small shooting set to 9,000 people, I remember just feeling the energy just going through my body.

[00:16:43] Lori: And you're right, it didn't affect me because it was like you're focused, you know, was on the event. Yeah, exactly. But before the event and after the event, it was just amazing. We were all the American gladiators. We were looking around going, oh my God, this is so cool. You know? But, um, it was, it was incredible.

[00:17:08] Lori: And it, and the other thing is, is I noticed is like you guys had like music playing, you know, in between different events, like Wild Thing, which is funny. I was listening to that this morning cause I was listening to the interview you did with um, Wolf and I noticed his song is Wild Thing and we used that song as well when we were out on tour.

[00:17:27] Lori: And that was Nitros song, wild Thing. So, um, yeah, it was, it was pretty amazing going from a, just a set, a small set, going out on tour and going over to Birmingham and, and performing in front of 9,000 people. It was just like, wow. So, yeah, I mean, doing that for you guys on a daily basis, it was, I must, I must, it must have been just amazing.

[00:17:54] Lori: This episode's actually sponsored by

[00:17:57] Lori: iceteeshirts.com

[00:17:59] Lori: and you can get your OG gladiator hat. You can get your OG t-shirt, you can get chilling with ice hats, chilling with ice t-shirts. I have all kinds of fun stuff on it. So go to iceteeshirts.com today.

[00:18:14] Jet: The thing is, we didn't know anything less. We didn't know anything less. Um, and I guess it's like yourself, I dunno, I can't speak for you, but if once you're confident of what you know, you know, you can do, if that makes sense. It doesn't matter whether you, as I said, perform it to two people or 20,000 people or whatever.

[00:18:33] Jet: It doesn't matter. You just gotta do your job and have fun and make sure once you land on the crash mat, you can walk away from it rather. Onto a gurney, into an ambulance. Given that,

[00:18:47] Lori: yeah. Let's, let's talk about, let's talk about the games for a moment because since you were in such a large arena, your events could be kind of a little bit larger than life than ours.

[00:19:01] Lori: Like for instance, um, PAX Okay, I'm gonna have you explain that one for a minute. And then there was like the pendulum, you know, I mean the first time I saw your, is that what it's called? Pendulum? Yeah. The first time I saw that I was like, oh my God, what is that thing?

[00:19:22] Lori: So explain to the Americans, cuz I know they probably haven't seen it because I don't know why your, your show doesn't play over here or why it didn't show over here, but it would've been cool if it did. But Pax, let's go with that one for a minute. Can you explain that one to my American audience? Like how tall was that thing?

[00:19:40] Lori: I don't know.

[00:19:40] Jet: It was, uh, probably, oh God, 60, 80 meters tall, easily. And what it was, it was like a pole basically. Um, with these, that spiral, like, you know, like a hel skelter going all the way up with these little pins that came out in a helter skelter. Imagine like a, like a hairbrush type thing, like but like, you know, goes like that.

[00:20:08] Jet: So I'm being a bit random, but it goes all the way up in a helter skelter way. These little poles. And the, the job of the gladiator was to chase. On another pole separate to that, that pole, um, a contender. So it was who would get up to the top of the pole or the other and press a big red plunger at the very top.

[00:20:31] Jet: And when you did that, so whoever was behind you, whether there's contender or the gladiator, these little tiny little poles that you could like fall up, this pole would retract. So you'd slide down the pole

[00:20:44] Lori: like a pusy gap. Would you slide down the pole or fall down the pole?

[00:20:49] Jet: Usually you'd have to push yourself off and try and do a proper, like a stunt fall because you were falling onto a, um, you know, the inflatable mattress, like a stunt fall person.

[00:20:59] Jet: Yeah. And I never did it because I'm in rehearsals. I went up, oh, I went up, I went up the poles went in, I pressed the plunger, and I fell back. And I fell onto the, this airbed, I fell onto the aired. And my, i i, instead of keeping my body rigid, which they'd instructed. I went all floppy and my knee hit myself in my own face.

[00:21:23] Jet: Oh. And my nose, my nose ended up the other side of my face. Oh. Zodiac crawled onto the airbag. Cause I was going, oh, oh, I think I've broken my nose. And she went, jet. I went, I can see my nose out the other side. I said, please tell me my nose isn't broken. She went, jet nose is broken.

[00:21:46] Jet: Oh, relaxed. And eventually it was only the at the end. It pulled back within about two or three days.

[00:21:56] Lori: I'll be honest with you, I'll be honest. When I went over there and you guys had the poll ax and we were supposed to do that, I was like, no, I'm not doing it. I, I refused to do it cause I saw it.

[00:22:08] Lori: I was like, oh shit, I need, I'm, no, there's no way I'm doing that. You know? And the other thing I did not do, because it looked kind of crazy, was the pendulum. I didn't do that one. I, when I was over there. Explain that one so that,

[00:22:28] Jet: yeah. So it was like a massive ball of about, ooh, 30, 40, 50 foot diameter swinging top of the arena very slowly to the right of the valery da da with a cargo net across it.

[00:22:45] Jet: And what you had to do is the contender had a little tag on her back or his back. And the gladiator's job was basically negotiate around this like a spider in a web and pull the tag. And then you both released to this cargo net, suspended above the arena. Uh, I think I did it once. Um, it said, it says it all, but it was spectacular.

[00:23:08] Jet: It was one of the biggest events and it was visually beautiful, but I think again, in the end they kind of did a, it's too dangerous because they were falling onto a cargo net. Like a, you know, like when you do trapeze artists and a big circus. Yeah. And they con a similar thing. And these big high fours were what were coming in basically in cacheing on the injury risk.

[00:23:32] Jet: So again, even though it was visually spectacular, it was a hard event to do. Cause it's all grip strength because once you've got the gravity going and all you've got is any negotiation, uh, negotiating skills with your upper arms and forearms. if you've been a gym master as a kid, that would be all right.

[00:23:49] Jet: But for most people, they're just so, it kinda negated itself to some degree. But, um, yeah,

[00:23:58] Lori: that. And it's funny because I do know your favorite event, which is hang tough. I know that you're awesome at that, but what was your least favorite?

[00:24:08] Jet: Oh, it would've been jazz, I guess, cuz I'm not very puristic. Um, at the time I did glads when I was 22 to 20, nearly 26.

[00:24:20] Jet: Unfortunately, my lower spine had a disc rupture, so I had really bad sciatica. So the pains down my left leg were really bad. And, um, every time I'd like go forward with force, my left leg would literally give away. So for me, if I was ever put up on Jill, it would be more dread of the pain rather than the, the fear of losing.

[00:24:42] Jet: And that probably isn't the right blood at all. When to go into any, I really admired anybody who could do that really well, no matter how big or small. Cause obviously the podiums have set at a certain distance, aren't they? So they like, you know, Small girl with small levers, you're not, you're gonna have to do a lot of forward reach.

[00:25:01] Jet: And I was one of the smaller girls of the, all of them, so I was like, oh no, I'm, if I, if I do a really good power to the head and then to the butt to get them off, my leg gonna give away and I'll be off with them. That's look good.

[00:25:18] Lori: Now, it's interesting you guys called your, your, we have a, we call it a joust, you guys call it dual, which, which totally makes sense in the UK now. Now here's a good question for you and that is, how would you feel if they decided to do an actual documentary about you guys?

[00:25:39] Jet: Oh, be amazing. And you know what?

[00:25:41] Jet: They'd all be, I can't speak for them all cause they're not here, obviously. Um, but if they were to do it, it would be so good. And there's so many stories as you well know. And you know, it's like a, it's like a camaraderie. Whenever we get to meet up, some of us, every so often collections of us go to these ComicCons, uh, which I think came from America.

[00:26:01] Jet: And we just sit and cry laughing with the memories. And if we were to do it with you guys as well, it would be, we could, but yeah, I'm sure the, the Brits pretty much all of them. I can't speak for them, but yeah, that'd be so

[00:26:14] Lori: upright. I'm sur surprised. I'm surprised nobody's done a documentary yet. You know, our Netflix documentary just came out three days ago.

[00:26:20] Jet: I know, I saw, I saw the trailer for it and I sat with my partner going, oh my God. And how could love the way they shot you in the middle of that big studio looking so cool.

[00:26:37] Jet: Done and that production value, do you know what the glass deserves that? Yeah. Particularly for you guys. You were the initiators, you were the founders and some of your metro golden mayo or who, whoever thought up the idea. Absolutely. Hats off. Beautiful. You know, it's iconic, isn't it, really? It,

[00:26:57] Lori: it really is.

[00:26:58] Lori: I mean, I, you know, because there's two documentaries that came out over here recently. One was 30 for 30 on E S P N that we opted out not to do. And then because we wanted to be on the Netflix series and we got a five series, and apparently right now it's been on a, um, since Wednesday, I think it's been out almost a week.

[00:27:18] Lori: And we're at number one on Netflix right now, which is absolutely amazing. But think about it, Diane, it's like everybody's craving that nostalgia of the nineties. Yeah. Yeah. And so, It's, it was a simpler time. And so when they watch the documentary, they can, you, you know this as, you know, a therapist. It's like they, they crave that simplicity and they crave that time.

[00:27:45] Lori: Like they can go, oh, I was in the backyard with my dad and we were building forts and you know, it's that whole American gladiator time. So the documentary has brought back so many memories. Unbelievable. It's just, and like you said, the UK version, I mean, if they had a UK version of the documentary, so many stories, it's just you, you can't even get 'em in all, all of them into a documentary.

[00:28:12] Jet: Yeah, absolutely. Right. And it's that whole family feel. You know, there are not many shows. Yes. Where everybody, every generation of the family can sit and just for a whole hour and just be transfected and get behind either the contender or their favorite gladiator or their event that they really loved.

[00:28:30] Jet: And just for an hour just be harmonious and just be involved with what was going on in tv. Um, and I think for me, that's where the magic really is.

[00:28:41] Lori: Yeah, absolutely. That is, it's so magical. Um, there's, it's so funny, I'm sitting here and I was thinking about this last night before, you know, it's kind of like, okay, so what are we gonna talk about?

[00:28:53] Lori: And I was talking with my girlfriend and I said, interesting enough. I love this podcast because it gives me permission for an entire hour just to talk about gladiators with another gladiator, you know, because we're never gonna get on the phone and go, so what was your show? And blah, blah, blah. You know, we just never, you don't talk like that, you know, when you're just on a personal phone call.

[00:29:18] Lori: So, to me, sitting here and, and having the podcast and having that permission to just talk gladiators is so refreshing and so much fun. And going back down memory lane. So let's go back to the international show. This was something, this was a question that was interesting and that was, I'm wondering why they didn't take the International Gladiators, and you're gonna cringe when I say this and put Gladiator up against Gladiator.

[00:29:51] Lori: Oh,

[00:29:54] Lori: instead of up. I mean, how cool would that have been though?

[00:30:01] Jet: I, I think it would've just been decimation,

[00:30:07] Jet: you know, I don't think anybody would've called off any of those mattresses alive.

[00:30:16] Lori: So cool though. No

[00:30:20] Jet: great tv. Oh, they're dead. That's okay. That's fine. We've just like cut to another event. I mean,

[00:30:28] Lori: think about it though. But think about it, Diane, it would've been so cool if you were to think about the concept of that you were the best at the rings. I was pretty damn. I was pretty damn good at hang tough and having the best go against the best.

[00:30:43] Lori: Yeah,

[00:30:44] Jet: I'd have, I would've loved, I'd been straight. Yeah, straight off. But then you'd have been like, you straight on me. Straight off as well. I'd be like, yeah. So who wins here? It's like blind. To make great tv. So hey,

[00:31:00] Lori: great tv. So when you heard that, um, there was gonna be an international show and that we were coming over, were you guys super excited and who was, I just wanna hear it.

[00:31:14] Lori: I just, I just wanna hear you say it. Who was the most exciting person that you wanted to meet?

[00:31:22] Lori: Come on.

[00:31:24] Jet: Nice, nice baby. I was really daunted, actually really daunted, uh, because from what I'd seen on what they played as, um, at L W T in London to kind of go, well you were interested in doing this show. I'm like, oh, I'm not sure. Um, then do the tryouts and prove yourself. I'm like, well, I can do that in my sleep.

[00:31:44] Jet: That's okay. Uh, and then after, what, two or three seasons before you guys came over and Penny came over? Oh, God, I thought I was He was the queen of American gladiators actually coming over and she's gonna my ass basically.

[00:32:07] Lori: That was such a fun time because I had never been out of the states before, you know, I had never, no, I had never traveled out of the states. So, going over to England, you know, it was just such an amazing adventure. I mean, first of all, um, becoming friends with you and I would've never seen anything in England if it hadn't been for you.

[00:32:33] Lori: So thank you so much because I got to, you got to show me around England a little bit after the gladiators, and so that was just the castles and, and just the history of England.

[00:32:45] Jet: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Had like a three day blast, didn't we Went to Warwick Castle, then down into Surrey and Hampshire and just into the countryside and that little restaurant.

[00:32:55] Jet: Oh, just amazing. It was an amazing

[00:32:57] Lori: time. You were the one, by the way, thank you for this. But you were the one who turned me on to Indian food because I remember we stopped at some little, it's, I swear to God, it looked like some little gas station and you were like, we're gonna get chicken Tika me or something.

[00:33:13] Lori: I was like, what's that? Because first of all, here in America, we never buy anything from gas stations or little convenience stores for that fact. But yeah, you turned me on to, uh, Indian food. It was just like ever since. It's been so amazing. But I gotta be honest, England has the best Indian food by far since I've been back.

[00:33:38] Lori: Oh God bless. Thank you for that. So yeah, the, this, the whole international, I think gladiators as a whole were such a big family that you guys also, you guys got to travel to Australia. did.

[00:33:53] Jet: We did, yes. Thank you for reminding me. We went down to the, we shot in Brisbane and I think we got a stopover in Sydney, which was really good.

[00:34:03] Jet: I mean, what an amazing experience. Uh, and to meet the Australian gladiators. They were

[00:34:10] Lori: So how long were you guys there?

[00:34:13] Jet: I think we were only there for about a week to 10 days. Um, cause you gotta try and get the body clock to switch, which. And again, the structure of the events is always slightly off to the one that you are used to.

[00:34:25] Jet: So hang tough. The rigging was slightly different. So instead of being in a way that you could traverse and like swing really easily, it was like, oh, oh no. Oh, there's ring, oh ring

[00:34:39] Jet: really close. Uh, despite this enormous arena. So there's lots of things, lots of anomalies, which were really quite different to the British arena. Cause as, as you've said before, we have this like huge, you know, cathedral-like kind of size of an arena. So wherever you go after that, if it's not that big, everything would have to be slightly condensed I guess.

[00:35:02] Jet: Um, but you know what? They were so lovely. I just remember being, just remember being jet lagged all the time because obviously your body clock goes whoop. Yeah. Now and this things hanging from trees looking like crows and actually, I mean, big, big, they were bats, bats. Everywhere looking like crows just hanging from trees upside down In the evening they'll be like, coming up and I'd be like, what the, cause I love all animals and stuff.

[00:35:31] Jet: I'm like, wow, that's one of my lasting memories. As well as dropping Harley Davidson motorbike in the middle of the arena. Um, which,

[00:35:40] Lori: wait,

[00:35:40] Lori: wait, wait, wait. You, what? What was that?

[00:35:44] Jet: So, I haven't learned to ride a motorbike, but my, my head told me that I had, but hadn't, well this motorbike, this Harley David, there was like two Harley Davidsons as the winner.

[00:35:58] Jet: Uh, the winner would get with the bike which was the Australian price and however many thousands of pounds on an international tour with everybody. They'd be like,

[00:36:10] Lori: you did not, you dropped it.

[00:36:12] Jet: I dropped it. You have to buy it. I'm like, I'm so

[00:36:19] Jet: sorry.

[00:36:23] Lori: I can't even believe you dropped the bike. Um, all right. So interesting enough, I heard that the Australians, they were all in character to where they actually played a character and they were scripted to where you guys and us. We were not scripted. We got to be ourselves. So was that kind of bizarre?

[00:36:46] Jet: I think so, and I think that's, that was my ongoing, uh, when anybody says, oh, what, what would be any tips for any future gladiators or any like, scripting or shows?

[00:36:56] Jet: I said, just don't, don't script your glass. Let them be who they are. Let the audience choose who they want to. Like, there's demographics, isn't it? There's someone for everyone, and that's so important, but that can't happen if it's ingenuous. So you have to be authentic in who you are. And I, I don't know. I didn't, I didn't see any of the.

[00:37:18] Jet: Production staff, I think back then, um, in Australia, I just remember them looking very nervous and tense all the time. I'm like, but you guys are beautiful. You're wonderful athletes. Just be who you are, you know? Yeah. Not this day. And I, I'm sure you conquer with that.

[00:37:35] Lori: Um, well, what they, what they allowed us to do is be our own brand within the brand.

[00:37:44] Lori: You know, like Jet is a brand, ice is a brand, Wolf is a brand. And so when you become that brand within the brand, you can shine. You know, as long as they allow you to do that. And I think the scripted version, okay. So even like the reboot over here in 2 0 8, they tried to make 'em scripted and they overproduced the show.

[00:38:10] Lori: It

[00:38:10] Jet: didn't work. Yeah. And that's what Skye did over here in again, 2007, 2008, and it just didn't work. Mm-hmm. It really, it's a shame, but we've got this new show coming out on BBC one, a BBC channel. My goodness. Um, and I hope that production value, I've heard there's been some appalling injuries, but it goes with the territory.

[00:38:34] Jet: I think you and I both totally does.

[00:38:38] Lori: Yeah. Injuries. But, but here's the thing with injuries, it is, like I say, it's like we're athletes. If we can't tape it, ice it or shoot it up with cortisone, we're going back out and we're performing.

[00:38:52] Lori: And because as you know, I mean, I don't know, I'm sure it was the same over there as it was here, but if we didn't play, we didn't get paid. Yep. You know, there was no income if we didn't play. So, So therefore it's like tape it up, ice it, shoot me with cortisone, I'm going back out. Coach, just

[00:39:13] Jet: stick it. Super glue.

[00:39:15] Jet: I

[00:39:15] Lori: don't care. Exactly. Exactly. Super glue it. So there's already, I mean that's part of the gladiator thing is injuries. It's just um, hopefully the production company would take better care of their so-called athletes, which are gladiators.

[00:39:33] Jet: And hopefully that they're not just fodder, which was a, a word that was bandied around initially.

[00:39:41] Jet: Right. Apparently, I don't know, quote, not quote on the English show. So yeah, we just need, because they were, I think initially they were looking at stunt artists, but they're like 3000, not nine, 3000, not, uh, 900 pound a four. So we're doing like 20 foot, 30 foot falls pretty much on most events. Um, and. That would've cost a lot of money if the, if we were stunted artists.

[00:40:07] Jet: So they said, just, just get people off the street, fitness figure body builders, right. Athletes on the downturn and use them as fodder. Let's dress them up, make them look amazing, give them a gladiator name. And like it was, it was only rumored. Sorry, I, I, I've gotta say it was only rumored, so it is not factual.

[00:40:28] Jet: But there was a, there was an element of that, I think, because they knew how difficult it was gonna be and the insurances, I'm sure in health and safety with most things, particularly these days. But back then that I think they were being very wary. So they tried the best, I'm sure.

[00:40:44] Lori: Um, two, two things came out of that one I wanna ask and, and remind me about the, um, I already lost it.

[00:40:53] Lori: Um, your name. Your name, okay. So how did you feel when you found out that American version had your name? Ooh,

[00:41:04] Jet: good question. And I was gonna ask you about the same when the, uh, British, I

[00:41:09] Lori: uh, yeah, you guys used my name as well. Oh, I know.

[00:41:13] Jet: They used it on the, is it the sky version? Yes. I had nothing.

[00:41:17] Jet: Caroline Peters bless her. Um, I was like, why the calling her ice? There's only one ice in the world. Thank

[00:41:24] Lori: you. Exactly. Okay. Same thing with you though. When they had your name over here, how did, what was your first reaction right when you heard that?

[00:41:35] Jet: I was flattered, but then I was like, is she good?

[00:41:40] Lori: That's awesome. Exactly. But again, there's only one jet.

[00:41:46] Jet: Be good. Be very good. Then on top

[00:41:50] Lori: of that, there's only one jet and Yeah. And the way they recycle names is ridiculous. I know. You think. There. There are. So there's hundreds and thousands of names out there that they could use. Just I agree. Just let there be the brand of Ice and Jet and let us keep that little brand.

[00:42:17] Lori: But again, they don't want us to keep that. They want the show to be the star. So they're like, well, we're just gonna recycle the names. I know,

[00:42:27] Jet: I know why. There was a lovely girl. Apparently I didn't see it and I didn't see it being filmed, although I was invited. Um, her name is Comet and, um, oh, there's a cat trying to get out of the room.

[00:42:39] Jet: Um, I'll show you her. She's very fluffy. Um, but comt bless her. She, I think she, in the first episode that was filmed recently was again taken out of the arena with the very serious ankle and foot injury. Um, and she was the, the closest to being jet in terms of dark hair and the gymnastic ability and flare or whatever.

[00:43:02] Jet: And I just felt really sorry for her and I thought, and she was called Comet. So obviously that's something like quick outta the stratosphere, but not quite projected,

[00:43:14] Lori: but not quite Jet.

[00:43:18] Jet: She'll, she'll be back for the next season. I hope

[00:43:21] Lori: oh, how many seasons did you do? Did you do all of them? Four and a half. Four and a half years. How many seasons were there over there?

[00:43:30] Jet: Oh gosh.

[00:43:30] Jet: Uh, I think about nine. Really? Eight to nine years. Yeah. So they did about four and a half years to five years, I think, on terrestrial tv. And then, because it's so long ago, uh, then we had Sky and all these huge amounts of channels come through, which hadn't happened before. Uh, and it went to various different, so it had different, different audiences.

[00:43:54] Jet: So I think it got about eight and a half to nine years in the end.

[00:43:57] Lori: Yeah. Yeah. Wow. That's a long time. We did, I think we came out with eight seasons. I think we did. We did eight seasons. Yeah. And in your podcast, I heard that there was a point in time that Yes, you guys wanted more money as well.

[00:44:15] Jet: So I think, I think in initially, I just, I'm trying to think about this the other day.

[00:44:19] Jet: Um, think in the first year, after the first season, first year, um, I think Wolf, uh, in particular because he is a businessman, um, there was something about him going right? There was obviously a few of us at more popular Shadow Wolf jet, uh, than others. Can we be paid more? And all of us, I think had a meeting in a room which I walked outta.

[00:44:41] Jet: Cause I thought I, I'm not politically I'm not very business-minded either. So I just thought, do you know what, whatever, we're all doing the same job. But I think their points were either one, you're more popular or two, you're doing more events than the others. So higher risk. So I, I've got both points, but I thought, I dunno, it's a big system to, it'll be what'll be,

[00:45:02] Lori: so, but it's interesting because you guys now see I kind of, I kind of agree with you where you say, look, we are all doing the same jobs. It doesn't matter who's more popular, I think everybody should make the same amount of pay. But the thing that the Americans were trying to hold out for is we wanted a small percentage of the merchandising.

[00:45:25] Lori: Yeah, yeah. You know, and when we saw all the toys and, you know, um, video games and everything across the board we're like, can we just have a small, tiny, tiny piece maybe? And that's when they were like, no.

[00:45:41] Jet: Yeah. But that, that's mean because, you know, you, you put literally put back work in and made whatever characters that we are, or we'd become.

[00:45:50] Jet: Be what they were to actually, you know, give some gravitas to any little plastic toy or a figurine or a duvet set or whatever. So yeah, it would only be fair, wouldn't it? But no, I, I don't, don't think they would hopefully interested other than going, let's make money from this. Yeah. On our next.

[00:46:11] Lori: Thank you.

[00:46:12] Lori: It's, it's, it's refreshing to hear even the UK gladiators have kind of the same point of view to where even today, I mean, you have injuries, I have injuries. I have to, in the morning, I have to like, kind of reach over, grab this to roll over, you know, my lower back stretch a little, you know, and that's all due to hard-hitting, falling gladiator.

[00:46:40] Lori: And it's like, yeah, they made a fortune off of our bodies. You know, and it's just like, yeah, you would think that it would be only fair, but that's the entertainment industry, unfortunately. So how bad are your injuries from the show? What happened? Um,

[00:46:57] Jet: so I nearly broke my neck. Um, I landed at the end of, at the bottom of pyramid with a very, a curl, much bigger and heavier and stronger than I was, but I still managed to get some air time and get her off the pyramid at least three to 40 years down.

[00:47:12] Jet: And then we got air time landed at the bottom of the pyramid. I just remember that she, she was next to me, but I could see my bum there. Oh, wow. And oh my god, carpet, eat your heart out. My bumps next to my head and I heard a loud click, and I've heard that before when I've broken bones or snap ligaments, uh, in the past as a, a gymnast or a dancer. was that my So I just, I flipped very quickly onto my back and just remember thinking. Oh my God. That would be my name. But the fact I could feel my hands and my arms and my legs moving told me instinctively that actually it wasn't my name, my right. Um, and that's why I left.

[00:47:57] Jet: Cause I thought, you know what? That was too, that was too close a call for me. Uh, at the time I just loved walking mountains with the dog teaching a bit of fitness and studying at university. And I thought, you know what? I could do it in a wheelchair if I had to, but while I still got a choice.

[00:48:15] Jet: Yeah, just a little of intelligence just kicked in a thought. Do you know what, this has been fantastic. Four and a half years. Thank you very much. But I'm gonna, I'm gonna bow out while, while I'm still there, and that's that you know, thank you. But I thought it just wasn't worth it. But what had also been happening all the way through that period, uh, prior to glads, I'd been a gymnast, uh, Olympic level, national level gymnast as a child, and then all the way through that dancing choreography.

[00:48:43] Jet: And my disc between L four and L five, uh, had worn down measurably. So I was already suffering with like sciatica, er, ruptured disc in my lower spine, let alone any injuries further up into the spine. I just thought, you know what? I'm not even 26, my body's done. So to this day, like yourself, I have to be very careful, very measured about how I move.

[00:49:08] Jet: Um, it took me into a world of being interested in spinal rehab, spinal care, Pilates, core conditioning and all these things. So yeah, it's, so actually it's a blessing come out of all of the injuries, um, be, could argue I was probably a bit burnt out even before I started class.

[00:49:26] Lori: So how many, so you did it four seasons and, and it's interesting because you chose to, I mean, obviously after that injury, I mean, I would've been freaked out as well, but you actually chose to walk and you're like, okay, I'm done.

[00:49:40] Lori: Yeah. So it's interesting because we, how do I say this? We weren't done. We could have continued. I mean, honestly, we didn't, they didn't let us know when the show was gonna end. We got no phone call, we got no email, we got nothing. We had no idea the show was actually ending. Um Oh, wow. Yeah, it's kind of crazy.

[00:50:05] Lori: And then, um, we actually, we were doing the live show in Orlando, so that was a whole kinda weird thing, you know, the live show. And even when that ended, they didn't really call us or let us know. We just showed up one night and there was chains on the door. Oh. And yeah, all the gladiators and contenders and everybody were standing out in the parking lot going, what's going on?

[00:50:30] Lori: Who's gonna open the doors? And they never came and opened the doors. And that was it. That was the end of it. So did you ever hear no

[00:50:38] Jet: integrity in that? Did you ever hear anything back?

[00:50:42] Lori: Nothing. No. Nothing. There was no closure. We had no closure whatsoever on that show. Geez. Exactly. So for our life afterwards.

[00:50:55] Lori: And so it's interesting because you chose to go off and and live your life, and you were just like, okay, I'm ready, I'm done. I wanna move on. Well, when we're gladiators and we weren't ready to leave, and then we just found out you're done, we were all like kind of like, oh shit, now what do we do? Correct.

[00:51:18] Lori: So that was a whole interesting kind of transition, you know, from gladiator into normal life type of thing. Yeah. It was hard. It was very hard, but, um, yeah, it's, it was, it was a great ride though. So, but you guys were like, gods over there when we came over to the UK and we saw you were on the side of buses, billboards.

[00:51:44] Lori: I mean, w you couldn't go anywhere in the city without seeing some type of photo or poster or builder of the gladiators. We were in awe. We literally were, we were just like, ah, how come we're not this big in the American version?

[00:52:02] Jet: slight clue in that though, America, England,

[00:52:09] Lori: I know. We always say that.

[00:52:10] Lori: You, I think somebody said, uh, jokingly England was the size of California.

[00:52:18] Lori: Probably, yeah. Yeah. But that just, uh, that just meant that was such an amazing ride for you. I'm sure. Hold on. Let me see if I have any, I mean, I had, like I said, I had so many questions and I know that we're going over a lot of 'em. We did the international show, uh oh. When you were traveling, you guys got to travel a lot.

[00:52:40] Lori: Was there anybody that you meant like a celebrity, you know, beside yourself? Of course. I mean, was there anybody that, when you were on gladiators that you met, you were just like in awe, like, oh my God, that's who I got to meet because you were Jet? really, I don't think. Oh,

[00:53:01] Jet: no. There was a lovely guy, there is a lovely guy out there called Vinny Jones, who's since become a, an actor.

[00:53:08] Jet: Um, an international actor. In fact, he normally plays quite a baddie and he was a footballer, a footballer, footballer. And he'd come on one of our guest shows and I remember having a wonderful opportunity to go up to Iha, um, and do a three day thing on mountain of the biking, on the pretty side of the island of Beat the uh, which is down in the Mediterranean.

[00:53:31] Jet: Beautiful, uh, for gmtv so many, many years. I'm just trying to pull this out of my head right now. And, but to sit with him and his then lovely wife, um, over breakfast, having fresh squeezed orange juice and a lovely, before I was gonna go on a mountain bike for three days with the film crew. And I'll never forget meeting Vinny cuz he then came onto Gladiators as a guest contender when it was Celebrity Gladiators.

[00:53:57] Jet: And I just remember even though he was playing this bad guy to the light image, and still to this day you'll do. Bit of acting with like these kind of gangster movies and bad guy movies. But his wife, his then wife was with him and she had a, a, a heart condition and he knew every day was precious with her.

[00:54:15] Jet: And um, I just felt really privileged. Uh, one of my memories is to be sit with Vinny and his then wife, um, and have breakfast with the complete strangers to me at the time and just go, wow. And that's one of my memories. So that will always be one of my biggest memories is having breakfast with nie. Joe is late wife cuz she didn't make it in the end.

[00:54:35] Jet: So yeah, that, that one probably. Sorry is

[00:54:38] Lori: I know. That was awesome. I love that story. Now did you have, did you, in England, I'm sure you did, did you have any crazy fans that you were kind of like, whoa, kind of like stalkerish, kind of like, okay, I'm gonna stay at the side over here. Did you ever experience that? Uh oh. Uh oh.

[00:55:00] Jet: And that's why. Nearly 30 years ago. It's still

[00:55:04] Lori: Yeah, yeah. It's kind of crazy. So I know that. Bizarre. Bizarre. So do you, uh, how did you handle that? How did you handle the crazy, the crazy fan stalkers? Um,

[00:55:18] Jet: just, just by being a psychotherapist, now that I am with many years experience it, I know it's about their projection, so it's more about them than me and their need to project me.

[00:55:30] Jet: Something about themselves, which only them only themselves can solve, of course. So I can kind of, I've got an antenna now, which kind of seeks them out and um, I can, I can deal with it really well. I can deal with it very quickly as well. So if it's a PA signing or a ComicCon or something like that, um, you can tell you, can tell you.

[00:55:51] Jet: I think you know as well, you

[00:55:53] Lori: can tell Yeah, they have that, they have that, they have that scary look in their eyes.

[00:56:01] Lori: Oh, now, are you still doing personal appearances?

[00:56:06] Jet: A little bit with Comic-Cons. Okay. Yeah, a few of them. Probably not very many. Uh, not, not nothing like what we used to do even up until two or three years ago. It's gone. Very quiet. So yeah, I think, I think times are changing. So,

[00:56:21] Lori: yeah, I actually, it's funny, I just booked my first personal appearance in the last girl.

[00:56:30] Lori: It's been at least 20 years. When, wow, when we, when our show ended. And over here in America, if you're not on television, you're not relevant. And if you're not on television and you're not relevant, they don't want you at any personal appearances. So it's been about 25, well, we went off the air, what, 30 years ago?

[00:56:51] Lori: So, no, I take it back. It's been 30 years. So it, it's literally just yesterday I booked my first personal appearance because of the documentary that came out. And that is just so, we're all just like, Woohoo, we're gonna relevant again. And it's kind of fun doing that, but, um, you're gonna love it. Come on.

[00:57:16] Lori: You know me. I'm just such a big ham. I just love that shit. It's, it's fun. It is.

[00:57:27] Lori: So when you think back on the American, uh, non American Sam, I'm so used to saying American gladiators. When you think back on the UK gladiators, when you did your, your time, your time, you like that when you did your time?

[00:57:40] Jet: I've been working since, since glad. So we've got so much to talk about. Yeah. Oh my god.

[00:57:46] Jet: I know. See me disappear quickly. It's only cause I'm gonna go and get my charger cause I've had to get you propped up so I could see you properly. So the Chargers, I think battery might go,

[00:57:58] Lori: go grab your, you had to grab your charger or you have to go ahead.

[00:58:07] Jet: So professional.

[00:58:10] Lori: Are you kidding? That's, that's the cool thing about my podcast. It's so like non natural, professional. It's all just relaxed. Yeah.

[00:58:21] Jet: Good. I'm glad.

[00:58:26] Jet: And I'm actually propping my phone up with some makeup. I don't think this is gonna work very

[00:58:32] Lori: well. You are so.

[00:58:36] Jet: There we go. Oh, just, just me, but I'm gonna have to stay here. I don't think that's gonna

[00:58:41] Lori: stay there for a second. No, you cannot sit on your floor. Now you have to stand. So now you have to tell me, now you have to tell me about the little drama that you guys had in your team.

[00:58:52] Lori: Events that we had over here. What kind of drama did you have to deal with with your team? Of course. Come on, you guys. I know you guys had drama behind the scenes just like we did.

[00:59:05] Jet: Um, oh gosh. I, I don't think I was there long enough to see any of the dramas. Um, and at the time I was a bit of a boring, so I didn't get involved with anything other than, well, you know what, so

[00:59:21] Lori: just Oh, I get to see, see, I, I'm actually seeing the side of your bottle, whatever that's propped up.

[00:59:28] Lori: Which is funny cause I'm trying to read the ingredients in it. I'm kidding. That's, there you, that's great. I see it. That's it. Exactly, exactly

[00:59:40] Jet: right. I'm on, I'm on my knees now. I'm literally on my knees.

[00:59:44] Lori: So you're just chilling, enjoying life now, having your, your, your work and that's pretty cool. So are you where you wanna be right now in life?

[00:59:58] Lori: Yeah, I

[00:59:59] Jet: am. I am. It's taken a long time to get there. Um, I won't lie. Um, I could cry, but I won't. I sadly left the south of England and moved to the northwest of England for something that wasn't what it seemed and ended up, Yeah, really hurt, um, badly. Lots of police, uh, mental health because suffered because of uh, basically domestic abuse.

[01:00:29] Jet: And I don't mind even going on record and saying that it was, it was horrendous, Laurie. It was really horrendous. And it just put me off relationships and everything for life cuz it wasn't my problem. It as a psychotherapist. Cause people are like, you should know, you should know better. You're a psychotherapist.

[01:00:44] Jet: I'm like, yeah, but I'm still human and I make mistakes too. Um, and it taught me a lot about relating, trusting people and, and then actually then not trusting people. So I went off on my own for a long, long time and did a lot of repair. A lot of recovery, A lot of reading about psychopathology because they're out there and, uh, they often present.

[01:01:11] Lori: Very brilliant,

[01:01:14] Jet: brilliant profile. Great intellect, very progressive. But then if they're damaged, then that damage comes out with me in the end. So I had to plan and escape, and that's a few years ago now it's about 13 years ago now. And I had to repair and pull, pull myself back together, wrote thousands of words of which have not published, but maybe one day.

[01:01:38] Jet: Uh, only if it's of help to anybody else cuz it's happens. It happens every day. And we all make mistakes, as I said. But right now, uh, Um, I've done a contract in, uh, Melbourne Prison, um, which I loved working again with veterans, uh, guys that have been in the Army, Navy, um, r f and, um, just trying to understand better the pathology behind why they do what they do.

[01:02:05] Jet: Um, outta my own personal research, but outta for what pushes people to their extreme. And as long as they're not taking out another, that's fine.

[01:02:20] Jet: And then, uh, just over a year ago, a gorgeous lady approached me in my local supermarket. And asked me if I was single, andover a year later, we're gonna get married.

[01:02:37] Lori: Wow. I know, right? So I was just gonna ask you if your country knew this.

[01:02:47] Jet: Probably not. And I don't care. It's, you know, we are, we are all what we are and it doesn't matter. I, I don't give a damn.

[01:02:56] Lori: I find that so refreshing and brilliant. Thank that. I'm, I'm gonna use your word. Brilliant.

[01:03:05] Jet: Thank you. I'm safe and I'm loved and there's no threat to me anymore.

[01:03:09] Jet: And that's what means the world to me. Uh, and also Zoe and my best friend Tony, who are I know down there in the living room somewhere, and they're gonna come up and say hello towards the end of the podcast.

[01:03:21] Lori: That's awesome. That is Diane for you. How, how, okay, so now I get to ask you these questions. I'm sorry, I'm gonna ask 'em now.

[01:03:29] Lori: How is that for you to actually, God, I hate this term and it's not even the same for you. It's not like, I mean, God, it even sounds stupid to say coming out. I mean, literally coming out to where this is, this is, this is new. It's like you're going into a whole different world. And what's so cool about it is you're right.

[01:03:54] Lori: You don't care. And see, that's how I was, you know? But when I was on the show, obviously the producers and directors are all like, no, you cannot come out. You cannot be gay. You cannot bring your girlfriends, you cannot do this shit. So, and I think for me, once you tell me I cannot do something, that's when I get mad.

[01:04:17] Lori: Exactly. Exactly. Exactly. But I mean, it's ref, it's so, I mean, today's day and age, I mean, literally anything. People are so accepting of everyone. Yeah. And it doesn't matter who you are because it's a matter of who you are as a person. It shouldn't matter who your partner is, who gives a shit who your partner is.

[01:04:41] Lori: Exactly. So Diane Del Jet, holy shit. How's a girlfriend? That's amazing. Good for you. I'm so happy for you. That is, it's really incredible for you. And I don't even, I'm really, I mean, back in the day it would be like, you're so brave. But now it's like, who cares?

[01:05:03] Jet: I'm loved and I'm safe, and I'm very happy. Do you want to meet my fiancee and my best

[01:05:07] Lori: friend Tony?

[01:05:08] Lori: Oh my God. Bring him in. Let's see. Yes, big play.

[01:05:11] Jet: Tony from Middlesboro and Zoe, my fiance. One second.

[01:05:15] Lori: Okay. All right.

[01:05:20] Jet: Is bgt there

[01:05:22] Lori: Go, oh, theres, did she give you everything you needed? I believe she gave me everything I need. Thank you, Tony. Very nice to meet you.

[01:05:33] Jet: We want you

[01:05:34] Lori: too. I love the irony that I'd messaged

[01:05:37] Jet: about 24 to 48 hours be beforehand, and I genuinely knew

[01:05:41] Lori: nothing about this. No way. That is so cool.

[01:05:48] Jet: Tony knows everything about the British Gladiators, so if you have an even interview with a proper Oracle. Yes, Tony. She's too kind. She's too

[01:05:57] Lori: kind. That is so cool. I'm so very nice to meet you. I love that. All right, who, where is Zoe at? Let's meet this Zoe at this fiance Beyonce moment. Me?

[01:06:11] Jet: Come on. Well,

[01:06:13] Lori: hello there.

[01:06:15] Lori: Hello. How are you?

[01:06:18] Jet: I'm good.

[01:06:19] Lori: I'm good. How are you? Very nice to meet you. And you and you haven't done that. I feel really embarrassed. Oh, whatever. I don't care. I haven't done mine. It's all for fun. It's just so good to see you guys. I mean, how cool is this that we get to have a zoom session from America all the way over to the uk?

[01:06:41] Lori: Fantastic.

[01:06:43] Jet: I, my hat

[01:06:45] Lori: Diane, girl, you haven't changed a bit. Tell her to stop playing with her hair. She always does. She always does. I know she hasn't changed a bit. She's constantly like boom, boom, boom. It's a habit now. Loving the podcast. Thank you. Loving you so very much. She's great.

[01:07:08] Jet: Yes. Good.

[01:07:09] Lori: Just saying.

[01:07:10] Lori: When we were, we were having a little conversation beforehand and I was like, she will call you out. I've listened to the podcast. She will call. No, no, no, no. I don't call anybody out.

[01:07:22] Lori: I just try to have fun and I mean, it's so funny because I was listening, I was telling Diana, I was listening to the GLAD Pod all week trying to get different tidbits from what happened in the UK on their team compared to our team. Yeah. And to be honest with you, I was like, oh my God, I just wanna get her on the phone and say hello and just have a a, a good talk and have some fun.

[01:07:44] Lori: But it's like, this is awesome because the United States, America gets to see a UK. You know, jet from over there and it's like she was the most popular, I'm sorry, I'm gonna keep saying she was the most popular because that's what everybody knows and they love to hear from you guys. And that's why I'm so excited about this podcast cuz I can interview you guys over there on a Zoom session.

[01:08:08] Lori: So how fun is that? Thank you so much. I'm so cool. It's so cool for you to take time outta your, your day and your evening for this.

[01:08:17] Lori: And I so appreciate it. I know it was hard to get together. It was, yeah. So you guys jet, I'm sorry, Diane Jet, because everybody loves that. Um, before I let you go, before I let you go, Uhhuh, I do a little rapid fire question. Yes. And they're fun. And they're fun and Yes. And now I get to a, and now I get to go with you and then do a rapid fire as kind of like a bonus podcast for my Patreons.

[01:08:50] Lori: Are you ready for that?

[01:08:54] Jet: Shall we step out with Rib? No, I've got my support crew. I need them. I need them. Ok. Step up. Otherwise, I, I'll give you good money to stay.

[01:09:02] Lori: Oh my god. Diane Del Jet from the UK Gladiators, thank you so much for being on my podcast. Thank you. I absolutely loved every second of it. I'm sure I didn't even ask half the questions I wanted to ask, but um, if anything, we'll reconvene.

[01:09:17] Lori: So thank you again for coming on, chilling with Ice. And until next time, until I fly over and see you, I wanna say goodbye. Bye,

[01:09:27] Jet: my lovely bye.

[01:09:29] Outro YT: Thank you so much for listening to Chilling with Ice, and don't forget to hit that like button. Subscribe and share wherever you listen to your podcast. Remember to follow us on Patreon and YouTube at Chilling With Ice and on Instagram and TikTok. You can follow me@lori.ice dot Patrick. I look forward to chilling with you next time here on Chilling with