Former Gladiators star Jet has revealed how her marriage to teacher Zoe Gilbert crumbled after just two months, with the couple’s relationship dissolving amid accusations of jealousy and dishonesty.
The 90s icon, 54, whose real name is Diane Youdale, tied the knot with 50-year-old Gilbert in July 2023 following a whirlwind romance.
Fan-favourite Jet stole hearts throughout her career on the BBC’s now recently revived competition.
Despite a high profile relationship with fellow Gladiator Hunter, real name James Crossley, the star revealed her sexuality shifted “organically” over the years.
“I am gay. Sorry gentlemen! You boys have it lucky – I think men are very lucky to love women,” she confidently declared.
The 54-year-old television star has now opened up about the “endless” jealous rows that triggered their separation, while her ex-wife counters that she was “continually lied to” about Youdale’s previous relationships.
Diane Youdale, AKA Jet, was one of the original Gladiators fan-favourite stars
The pair separated in September 2023, following just 18 months of marriage and four of dating.
The couple’s romance began unexpectedly in a Tesco car park after Youdale finished a Pilates class. Gilbert approached Youdale, telling her: “I think you are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. May I ask you out on a date?”
The pair quickly became inseparable, with Youdale proposing just four months into their relationship. They married in an intimate ceremony with only nine people present, eschewing traditional wedding attire. Youdale opted for a “boho top and trousers” while Gilbert wore “brogues and chinos”.
At the time, Youdale had said: “I knew in my heart I wanted to be with her for the rest of my life.”
Youdale reflected on the sad deterioration of her short marriage
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Speaking to The Sun, Youdale detailed how the relationship quickly became strained due to constant questioning about her past partners.
“She would say ‘what about Sonia? What about Lisa?’ These are exes, professionally and personally. I was like: ‘I don’t go on at you about your past I’m not insecure about that.’ But it was endless,” she revealed.
The former athlete described losing her sense of independence during the marriage.
I became a bit of a passenger, I’m usually independent, proactive, and there’s things I like to do like walking but I stopped doing all that,” she said.
“I lost ‘me’ really quickly,” Youdale added, acknowledging this was a pattern she had experienced in previous relationships.
However, Gilbert has strongly refuted claims of jealousy, instead pointing to Youdale’s lack of honesty about her previous relationships.
Youdale was reportedly not interested in a return to her relationship with Gilbert
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“I was continually lied to about these exes. I only found out about them when it came out in the press,” Gilbert told The Sun.
She added: “I was upset because she hadn’t been truthful throughout the relationship. I had to find out about these previous partners in the papers.”
Despite attempts at reconciliation, with Gilbert reportedly asking to give their romance another try, Youdale filed for divorce on their first wedding anniversary.
A source close to the couple told the Daily Mail: “Diane and Zoe just realised it wasn’t to be. They didn’t see any point carrying on so decided to end their marriage.”
The source added: “On reflection, they may have rushed into making their relationship official but there’s no regrets or hard feelings between them.”
