Ella-Mae "Ella" Rayner (born 24 April 1995) is an English former elite gymnast, fitness model and television personality, known for appearing as Comet in BBC's sports game show Gladiators.
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
Nickname | Comet |
| Born | Ella-Mae Rayner 24 April 1995 |
| Home town | Rotherham, South Yorkshire, England |
| Alma mater | Birmingham University |
| Occupations |
|
| Height | 5 ft 8 in (173 cm) |
| Weight | 66 kg (146 lb)[1] |
Early life and education
editElla Mae Rayner was born on 24 April 1995 in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire and now lives in Rotherham, South Yorkshire. She gained a sports degree from the University of Birmingham.[2]
Career
editRayner previously competed in Elite-level gymnastics in her younger years, diving as a teen and then cheerleading at national level during her time at university.[3] She stood out for being a tall girl for that level of gymnastics. However, a serious ankle injury changed her career. Unable to continue with cheerleading or gymnastics, Rayner found herself in the gym. Nowadays she trains up to six days a week, in addition to working as a fitness model and coach.[2][4][5]
She has also gained a following on social media, primarily on Instagram and TikTok, on the latter of which she has over 600,000 followers.[6][7] In 2023, she was named as one of the Gladiators in the game show of the same name.[8] Earning the fierce moniker "Comet", she has been described as the "new [generation's] Jet" (Diane Youdale),[9] who herself also came from a similar gymnastics background.[3] Due to her elegance, dynamic flexibility and strength, Rayner's favourite event on the show is "Hang Tough", in which she suffered a severe leg injury during the filming of the first series.[10] Her appearances were restricted to three episodes, as she was forced to retire for the rest of the series. However, she was said to have made a full recovery and returned "even stronger" for the second series.[11]
Personal life
editReferences
edit- 1 2 @ellamaerayner; (2 November 2023). "Same weight, different shape" – via Instagram.
- 1 2 Evans, Alex (24 February 2024). "BBC Gladiators Comet star Ella-Mae Rayner on her life changing injuries, health battle and giving up her dream job". examinerlive.co.uk.
- 1 2 "'The new Jet' in Gladiators turned career around after injury to become Comet and leave fans stunned". talksport.com. 21 June 2023.
- ↑ "Everything You Need To Know About Comet From Gladiators". gymfluencers.com. 11 January 2024.
- ↑ "Athena and Comet have power in their soul as they become Gladiators". BBC.
- ↑ "Ella-Mae Rayner a.k.a Comet". TikTok. Retrieved 7 December 2024.
- ↑ "5 Facts About Gladiators Star Ella-Mae 'Comet' Rayner". gymfluencers.com.
- ↑ "Meet the new Gladiators ready to take on contenders in the BBC series". BBC.
- ↑ "Comet (Ella-Mae Rayner)". GladiatorsTV.
- ↑ Rodger, James (19 June 2023). "Gladiators star rushed to hospital for operation after 'severe injury'". BirminghamLive.
- ↑ Fullbrook, Danny (20 January 2024). "Gladiators star Comet says injury proves show is tough". BBC.
- ↑ "BBC One - Gladiators - Comet". BBC.
- ↑ "Inside Gladiators star Comet's life off screen – lavish holidays to entrepreneur boyfriend". ok.co.uk.