Essex Gladiators star Electro hopes to inspire future athletes

A star of the BBC reboot of Gladiators hopes appearing on the show will inspire future athletes.

Electro, also known as Jade Packer, from Southend in Essex, has had a career in athletics as a sprinter and bodybuilder.

She said she wanted to be a Gladiator "because every sport I've ever done has been inspired by watching other people do their thing."

"I hope I can be that person for the new generation of athletes," she added.

Ms Packer is now a sports model and fitness coach.

The former sprinter said she hoped viewers would pick up on her Essex accent.

"When you see someone from your home town on TV it highlights that it could actually be you, and you can be authentically you too," she explained.

Gladiators was first shown on ITV between 1992 and 2000.

The game show featured members of the public facing off against one of the show's resident gladiators in a series of physical challenges.

Sky1 revived the show for two series in 2008, presented by Ian Wright, Kirsty Gallacher and Caroline Flack.

The new BBC version, produced by Hungry Bear and MGM Alternative UK, will be 11 episodes presented by Bradley and Bradley Walsh.

Ms Packer admitted she was too young to watch the original Gladiators and instead discovered the show through YouTube.

She said: "We've got some old games, some new games... We had a great time filming it so I'm sure everybody will love it as well."

She said she picked the name Electro as a "good mixture of speed and strength, much like lightning".

"You don't know when or how hard I'm gonna strike and I like to look good while I do it too," she said.

Gladiators returns via BBC One on Saturday at 17:50 GMT and on the BBC iPlayer

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