Strictly Come Dancing’s Montell Douglas, the Gladiators star and multi-sport Olympian, is set to dazzle audiences with her dance moves. The 38-year-old athlete, known for her sprinting and bobsleigh skills, is a familiar face from her time on Gladiators and her impressive sporting career.
Before her TV appearances on Gladiators, Douglas was a sprinter who represented Great Britain at the 2008 Beijing Olympics in the women’s 100 metres. She previously held the British women’s record for the fastest 100m sprint and secured a Commonwealth Gold in the 4x100m relay race in 2010. In 2016, she transitioned to bobsleigh and quickly excelled in the sport.
Douglas’ sporting journey saw her become the first female UK athlete to compete at both the Summer and Winter Olympic Games. She stood out at the 2022 Olympic games in Beijing, finishing sixth in the two-woman bobsleigh event. Raised in Lewisham, south London, Douglas studied sports science at university while building her successful sports career.
Her television debut was in 2011 on Who Dares Wins, followed by her popular stint on Gladiators, where she showcased her strategic gameplay as Fire. Now, Douglas is ready to embrace the ballroom as a contestant on this season of Strictly Come Dancing. She expressed her excitement about joining the show and hinted that her Gladiator moves might come in handy for dances like the Tango or Paso Doble.
As Strictly Come Dancing gears up for its 20th-anniversary celebration, Douglas is one of the 15 celebrities set to grace the dance floor each week. The show aims to create a more supportive environment for contestants with new welfare measures, including chaperones to manage relations in rehearsal rooms. With her diverse background in sports and entertainment, Montell Douglas is sure to bring both athleticism and charisma to the Strictly stage.