Former Gladiators' sensation Diane Youdale, famously known as Jet, has recounted a terrifying ordeal that left her fearing for her life during a live performance.

Speaking to the People Are Deep channel, the TV icon, who celebrated her 55th birthday earlier this week (Thursday, February 13), revealed her brush with death while attempting a complex stunt at a 1996 event at

Reflecting on the harrowing experience when she was only 26, recalled: "I was sort of scraped off on one of the gurneys and taken off in an ambulance, and as the ambulance was approaching the hospital, I remember thinking I'm okay I can move my hands," reports

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Despite initially feeling alright post-incident, she confessed that the injuries could have been lethal. She continued: "So what I'd done is, I'd compressioned cervically, the spinal cord bruising, but no break and had it been a break consultant had said it would have been a hangman break so you'd either be paralysed or dead."

Jet, who had previously sustained minor injuries on the show, described the difficult decision to quit following her recovery at home: "I just suddenly thought I can't go back into that arena."

Away from competing in the hit show, Diane also pursued a career in the music industry at 24 and even made it onto the UK charts with her debut single 'I Don't Know', later releasing her album 'No Covers'. After her Gladiators journey ended, she co-hosted the final series of the children's programme, Finders Keepers.

She also briefly returned to the game show that launched her fame, serving as a reporter on Sky's revival of Gladiators in 2008. In addition to her entertainment career, Diane has since trained to become a psychotherapist.

While Diane was one of the stars of the original incarnation of the much-loved game show, Gladiators was revived for the second time in January last year when the show began airing on One with father and son duo, Bradley and Barney Walsh taking up presenting duties. The show returned screen with resounding success, with a reported nine million viewers tuning in to watch the first series.