ON FIRE
Who is Strictly Come Dancing contestant Montell Douglas? Meet the Team GB Olympic sprinter & Gladiator known as Fire
Montell is a gladiator both on TV and on the track
Montell Douglas first made headlines when she chased gold at the Olympics, but now she's dancing her way to a trophy on Strictly Come Dancing.
The star is the final celebrity to join the show's line up, but who is the Olympic athlete nicknamed "Fire"?
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Who is Montell Douglas?
Montell Douglas is an Olympic athlete and the star of the BBC's Gladiators.
She was born in Lewisham before studying sports science at Brunel University.
Montell joined the cast of BBC's Gladiators in May 2023, where she took on the alter ego of Fire.
Talking about the show, she said: "Being a gladiator has been a secret lifelong dream of mine.
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"As a strong and powerful woman, I'm living proof that you can achieve your dreams, no matter what age or background, if you believe and keep pushing."
When did Montell Douglas represent Team GB in the Olympics?
Before she appeared on Gladiators, Montell was a real Olympian.
She represented Team GB at the Beijing 2008 Olympics in the track and field events.
Amanda Abbington reveals she told producers she ‘didn’t feel safe’ being in same room as Giovanni Pernice
Although she failed to reach the 100m semi-finals, she did make it to the 4 x 100m relay.
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Unfortunately, she was unable to score a medal here too.
When will Montell be on Strictly?
Montell has joined the hit dancing show after it has been hit by repeated scandals.
In 2024, Amanda Abbington has claimed that her dance partner Giovanni Pernice was abusive and, separately, a crew member said that dancers created a toxic work atmosphere.
The show is set to return in September and will feature TV royalty such as Nick Knowles and other reality stars such as Pete Wicks.
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