Gladiators‘ star Sheli McCoy – best known as Sabre – has revealed the emotional reason she signed up to the hit show after a battle with ‘imposter syndrome’.

Sheli, 37, explained that her journey to Gladiators’ fame began as a child when she watched the programme captivated from her Scottish home.

Admitting that she felt like an ‘outlier’ because of her love of sport, she said that the show really resonated with her.

She told The Mirror: ‘The contenders would face these fierce gladiator women, and I loved that, and now that I get to be one of them!’

However, the star admitted that while she loved to stay physically fit, her muscular body left her feeling self-conscious.

But after an up-and-down journey that saw her lose her physique during an abusive relationship, she managed to overcome these doubts and vowed to become a role model for young girls.

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Gladiators’ star Sheli McCoy – best known as Sabre – has revealed the emotional reason she signed up to the hit show after a battle with ‘imposter syndrome’

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Sheli, 37, explained that her journey to Gladiators’ fame began as a child when she watched the programme captivated from her Scottish home but admits that as a sporty girl, she was always self-conscious of her body

The star, who also owns a gym in Dundee, admitted that this was why she signed up to the reboot of the show in 2024 – and stresses that she was never looking for fame.

She explained that she would rather spend her time outside of filming speaking to young girls and working on her business rather than attending things like red carpet events or considering a Strictly appearance.

Sheli said: ‘I’m currently going into two schools a week at the minute, minimum, and coaching kids’ classes at the gym twice a week.’

Reflecting on what she would say to her younger self, Sabre said she would tell her: ‘It’s okay to take up space.

‘It’s okay to be a little bit louder than other girls, it’s okay to be a little bit stronger than other girls, and it’s okay to want to play sport with boys.

‘Be proud of it.’

The Gladiator star’s heartfelt admission comes after she shared jaw-dropping before-and-after pictures of her body prior to finding TV fame.

While she loved fitness as a child, despite her imposter syndrome, that passion fell to the wayside during an abusive relationship.

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Reflecting on what she would say to her younger self, Sabre said she would tell her: ‘It’s okay to take up space. ‘It’s okay to be a little bit louder than other girls, it’s okay to be a little bit stronger than other girls, and it’s okay to want to play sport with boy’

During the Instagram interaction in 2024, one fan posted: ‘How many years has it taken to get your physique? Do you have a before picture?’

The gym owner shared a picture from 2012, saying she was four dress sizes bigger than she is now.

Alongside that was a photo of her competing in a competition in France in 2018 after her fitness journey.

She told her followers: ‘I became very unhappy and unhealthy in a terrible relationship that ended very traumatically and I gained a lot of weight.

‘I promised myself I would do better, be better and become a role model and a leader, to make myself and others proud and that’s what I feel I have done.’

She then explained that regular CrossFit and Olympic-standard weightlifting sessions, as well as a good night’s sleep, help her maintain her powerful physique.

Fierce, power, and agility are Sabre’s main attributes.

Ahead of her appearance on the show, Sheli described herself as a ‘grafter’ and revealed that she trains 16-19 hours per week.

Gladiators airs Saturdays at 5:45pm on BBC One and iPlayer