Dundee gym owner Sheli McCoy has become one of the country’s most recognisable faces after an incredible 12 months.
The Sweatbox Dundee boss became a household name last January when she appeared in the reboot of the iconic TV gameshow Gladiators.
Playing the part of Sabre, the 36-year-old won the hearts of the nation with her fierce but friendly attitude on the BBC series.
Her role has since given her the chance to take part in several other TV shows and major events.
As Gladiators gets set to return for a second series in January 2025, we take a closer look at Sheli’s rise to fame.
A hit with Gladiators viewers
After she was announced as one of the new Gladiators in 2023, Sheli made her first appearance on the show in January 2024 as the show relaunched.
In the show’s first episode, she came up against Dunfermline dog-walker Kerry Wilson.
The pair enjoyed a memorable battle during the Hang Tough round.
Sheli received a string of positive comments for her appearance, with some saying she reminded them of Gladiators legend Jet.
The first episode was a hit with the viewers, with about six million people tuning in.
But she was forced to pull out later in the series due to injury.
It was confirmed later in the year Sheli would be back for the second series of the show.
Doing her bit for charity
Alongside the rest of her Gladiator teammates, Sheli has appeared in sketches that were broadcast on Comic Relief and Children in Need.
During rehearsals for Red Nose Day, she kept fans updated on Instagram as the Gladiators rehearsed at BBC’s studios in Salford.
On the night, Sheli appeared as the group carried hosts Joel Dommett and Romesh Ranganathan away.
Despite not appearing on stage during November’s Children in Need live show, Sheli could be seen in the video package where the Gladiators re-enacted the music video to the Eric Prydz hit Call on Me.
Mixing with the stars
Sheli also mixed with the stars in October when she donned a glitzy dress to attend the Pride of Britain awards.
And earlier in the year, she joined Love Island contestants Laura Anderson and Anton Danyluk to open the new Hollywood Bowl in Dundee.
In February, Sheli gave a guest lecture at Dundee University, where she offered advice on the difficulties facing new business owners.
Meanwhile, Sheli also made an emotional and “overwhelming” return to the Fife school she attended.
Sheli spoke with Ceres Primary pupils in the assembly hall in the summer about getting to be who they want when they grow up.
On Instagram, she said: “I’m so grateful to be given these moments as opportunities from the position I’ve been given.”
This visit came just months after she told The Courier she was “unapologetically athletic”, which followed comments about her appearance by social media trolls.
Sheli – who lost her dad Shaun at the age of four – said: “I receive a lot of ‘body opinions’ from men and from women.
“For some people, traditionally, women might be quite slim and men might be quite muscular.
“While to other people, with a more modern mindset, an athlete is an athlete gender immaterial.
“So I highly expect that by putting myself out there in the public eye, I am probably going to come across both of those sets of people.
“People are going to have an opinion.
“But my mum [Kaz] always tells me people’s opinions of me are none of my business and that’s fine.
“If I ever do clap back at some of those, it is just to remind people that it’s my body and I will do as I want.”
Taking on Michael McIntyre’s The Wheel
In October, Sheli appeared alongside David Walliams and Dermot O’Leary on Michael McIntyre’s The Wheel.
During the episode, she helped contestant Varshia answer a question on her specialist subject, fitness.
At the end of the show, it was revealed Sheli had ranked fifth among the seven celebrities based on her answers to the questions.
Sadly, Varshia did not win with the £86,000 prize pot going to another contestant.
Sharing her journey on podcasts
Sheli has also allowed her fans to find out more about her journey with a series of podcast appearances.
She joined Stephen Brown and Matt Thacker for BBC’s For Fitness Sake podcast in March.
On the podcast, she revealed that she wanted to be called ‘Alpha’ on the show and also advised listeners on how to remain confident in themselves.
Sheli then appeared on a live Instagram chat with Celebrity Skin Talk host Scott McGlynn.
During the chat, she discussed plans for filming the show’s second series and shared how producers discovered her.
Since being catapulted to fame, Sheli has received messages from parents thanking her for inspiring their children to participate in sport.
She says: “If today was my last day on earth and I’ve made a lasting impression that a child can feel more confident in their body then it’s been worth it.”
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