FIGHTING TALK
I went from Gladiators star to $7m guru & even cracked Hollywood – but shocked cast by tearing into ‘obnoxious’ A-lister
The star also has a surprising thing she likes to splash the cash on
OLYMPIAN, TV star, Hollywood actress, and now a multimillionaire - it’d be an understatement to say that Jennifer Stoute has kept herself busy over the decades.
But despite the jam-packed CV, Jennifer - who 25 years ago starred as Rebel on Gladiators - shows no sign of slowing down.
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Speaking to The Sun, Jennifer has opened up about how the original ITV show saved her when she was left injured and unable to carry on her Olympic dream - and how her new business, which is now worth $7MILLION, saved her once the series came to an abrupt end.
She also reveals how she tore into "obnoxious" Russell Crowe while acting as a chariot driver in Hollywood blockbuster Gladiator... before he brutally chopped her character's head off.
Born in Bradford in 1965, Jennifer moved down to London when her parents divorced age five, living with her mum and three other siblings.
After moving to Barbados for two years, she came back to London for sixth form and discovered her love of running.
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“I wasn’t the most talented youngster - I remember going to London school games and coming last," she said.
"But I had a vision and determination to want to make the Olympic Games."
By 1988 Jennifer had made the British Olympic team as part of the 4 x 400m relay, two years after failing to finish in the 200m final at the Commonwealth Games.
Though the team finished sixth, she still remembers it as an “iconic” moment in her life - and she had caught the bug.
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“I loved every moment of it. Once I got the feel of it I decided I want to go to another Olympics Games, but this time I actually wanted to get a medal.”
Four years later, that’s exactly what she did - winning a Bronze in Barcelona with a personal best time for the event.
Gladiators’ Rebel star Jennifer Stoute unrecognisable 30yrs after show in barely-there bikini
“I remember I was 26, 27 year old and actually saying to myself, I don’t know whether I’ll be around for another Olympic Games because I’ll be 32 years old.
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“Before the games started I remember putting my T-shirt in my bag and thinking, there’s no way we’re not going to make in the four by four relay team and actually get third place.
"So once we got the medal it was incredible.”
Rebel Yell
After a crippling hamstring injury left her unable to compete, Jennifer remembers finding herself at a loss without track and field in her life - until Gladiators came along.
“I was kind of in a bit of a bad state,” she recalls.
I remember thinking, I’m a serious athlete, I don’t jump around in lycra
“I was thinking, what am I going to do? I love track and field but I’m not getting myself back into it, and I was getting older.
After being introduced to the show by Olympians-turned-Gladiator-cast-members Sharron Davies and Derek Redmond, Jennifer was at first sceptical.
“I remember thinking, I’m a serious athlete, I don’t jump around in lycra - no way I’m going to do this show.
“I was having a conversation with a couple of others in track and field and they said ‘Jennifer, go for it! Just try it out.'
"I trained and got myself ready, and when I got to the try-outs and was actually picked to be Rebel, I was like wow, amazing!.”
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As Rebel, Jennifer she quickly became a fan favourite - but her three years on the show led to difficulties that were both physical and mental.
“Every year your body gets beaten and you’re training to stay fit and strong, to be ahead of the game all the time - that was one of the hardest challenges,” she said.
“I find it very difficult coming from a sporting background to be this very glamorous person,” Jeniffer said.
“It was a big glamour thing, all the make-up, but I wan’t that person - I was an athlete. The make-up thing used to drive me absolutely insane, I was always being told off for not putting it on.
“They made me wear blue eye shadow and red lipstick, and I remember Oprah Winfrey saying that black girls with that combination isn’t the way to go. But there I was.”
Ulrika looked at me and said, ‘Jen, I think we’re out of a job’
“(One of the show directors) would say, “Come on, Rebel, be more girly!”. I’d just reply “What the hell is girly?”.”
But there were plenty of laughs on the show too.
"When we did Gladiators I didn’t really know any one's names; I just knew their stage names," she said.
"If someone asked me, “Oh, what is Rio’s name?” I’m like, “Ermmmm...I don’t really know. It was quite strange!"
'Obnoxious' A-Lister
With legions of fans and a fun - but demanding - role that kept her a familiar face in British living rooms, it came as a shock when, on the way back from a holiday with host Ulrika Jonsson, the news broke that the show was coming to an end - leaving them both without a job.
“I remember Ulrika and I were on a plane, and her agent at the time told her that Gladiators is finished.
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“She looked at me and said, ‘Jen, I think we’re out of a job.’
“I was like, ‘What!?’. I was thinking about getting back to track and field - but I was coming up to 35 so I said to myself, it’s definitely not going to happen.”
Twenty five years on from the show coming to an end, Jennifer and Ulrika are still close friends, reuniting in 2022 on the set of Celebs Go Dating.
Gladiators the TV show was no more - but Hollywood beckoned, and alongside fellow stars of the show Rio and Rocket, Jennifer incredibly bagged a role in Ridley Scott’s Gladiator as a chariot archer.
“They were looking for three black girls,” she recalls. “We were the only three black girls there and we got the part.”
But while she loved the stunt work, she was less impressed with main man Russell Crowe - so unimpressed she ended up giving him a piece of her mind that nearly cost her job.
“I got to speak to Russell Crowe," she said. "At the time, to be fair, I thought he was a bit too obnoxious. He wanted to race me on the auditorium, but I was like no, I’m not going to do that.
“We were all messing around and at the time Ridley didn’t want Russell to do a stunt where he had to rear the horse up. They wanted the stunt guy Stuart to do it because he was his stunt double - but Russell was like no no no, I want to do it.
“He really rears the horse up and he shouts “Come on everybody, how’s that for a motherf***ing stunt?”
As the star came round to shake the hands of everybody watching, Jennifer recalled the moment she couldn’t hide her frustration any longer.
“I blurted out, “Oh my God, you’re so obnoxious!” - but I didn’t realise I still had my mic on,” she said.
“I’ve never seen somebody who waits for the crowd to kiss his arse at the same time.
“People heard it, and I was like s*** - I thought I’m in big trouble. I could see Ridley walking towards me to say you’re out, you can’t do that to one of our biggest stars. But he shook my hand and carried on walking!”
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Business guru
At the same time as making Gladiator, Jennifer was due to audition as a presenter on Don’t Try This At Home with Davina McCall - but wasn’t able to try for it when filming ran over schedule, something she remembers as one of her “biggest regrets.”
“I kick myself because I really wanted to do presenting, and then the one opportunity I had I lost. So after that there wasn’t much that came out, other than doing personal experiences."
Both Gladiators and the movie had wrapped up, and Jennifer was out on a limb - but she would soon set the stage for a new chapter in her life that’s gone on to rake in millions.
Alongside her (now ex) husband John, they set up a sports agency with the help of the money saved from Gladiators and her appearance in the film, and went “all in” in making the company a success.
“I think with John and I coming from track and field we understood the work ethic in order to get something - our achievement in the past was one thing but our work and dedication building the company was another thing. We had to give up a lot in terms of spending time with friends or family or going out.”
But for Jennifer it’s all been worth it, thanks to the long-term relationships she’s been able to build with her athletes - and not just because the company is now worth a whopping $7million.
I want to be bigger and more successful than I was in my sporting life and when I was doing Gladiators
“We call ourselves a family because even though we can have an amazing connection with our athletes we don’t take it for granted," she said.
“Everybody has to make money. But in order to actually be successful you have to be passionate about it, you have to want to have pride in watching it grow and become something - and also have pride in people you’re giving advice to and watch them grow and develop in a world that can be quite brutal sometimes.”
Jennifer’s kids - Alicia, 22, and Rene, 19 - have both inherited her passion for sport, with the younger daughter a GB junior international sponsored by Nike.
And her favourite thing to splash the cash on? A big car - preferably one that’s four-wheel drive.
“I think that symbolises the grander type of life that I’m pushing myself for. I want to be bigger and more successful than I was in my sporting life and when I was doing Gladiators,” she explained.
She added: “When I go to America, I get the biggest four-wheeled drive I can find - I just like that presence, feeling like I’m commanding on the road.”
She’s also excited for Gladiator 2, starring Paul Mescal and Pedro Pascal - and revealed she’s been contacted by producers at Paramount.
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“I would love to get onto the red carpet,” she admitted.
“I was contacted by Paramount saying they may use a clip of the old movie of me in a chariot for part of the titles in the cinema. If that happens it’s going to be amazing.”
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