New Gladiator Cyclone reveals why she’s thrilled to ‘terrify’ viewers after debut on BBC One show

SHE terrified contenders and viewers alike with her fighting talk on Gladiators – and newcomer Cyclone considers it job done.

The star — real name Lystus Ebosele — is thrilled she had contestants quaking with her TV debut on the BBC One reboot on Saturday, and says she is “both fierce and unapologetic”.

The Irish powerlifter told The Sun: “I want to be so scary that even when I’m not in the ring, contenders think, ‘I hope I get anyone but her’.

“The first contender that I saw in the arena when I joined the show . . . I wasn’t meant to run into her, but she saw me coming out of the bathroom and her reaction was pure fear.

“I was thrilled, I thought, ‘Perfect, that’s just the vibe I’m going for!’ ”

Cyclone insisted her onscreen ­persona is not about playing the “bad guy” but rather embracing her power and overturning gender stereotypes.

With her 5ft 11in frame and 15-inch biceps, Lystus said: “I stand out because I am unapologetically strong.

“People might see me as villainous, but that’s just because Cyclone is powerful and doesn’t back down. If a woman is confident, assertive and speaks plainly, people call it cocky, but if a man did the same, they’d call it confidence. Honestly, I think it’s a stigma that we need to be breaking.

“It’s all about showing that a woman can be both fierce and unapologetic, to take hold of their dark feminine energy and power.

‘It’s cool to be strong’

“Cyclone is an extension of my own character as an athlete and a woman in that way — because I’m competitive. I like a challenge and love to win.”

It means Cyclone will stop at ­nothing to bring down her opponents during the Gladiators challenges filmed at the Utilita Arena Sheffield.

And she insists that this is to show young girls that they can be unapologetically strong.

Cyclone added: “With any competitive scenario, it’s game face on and I just want to win, essentially.

“I can’t help that I’m hyper-athletic, and will just go for what I want and be forthright. Ultimately, that should show girls at home that it’s cool to be strong and not be sorry about it.

“That wanting to win is OK, and that they are allowed to take up space and be seen.

“Women support each other on this show, and that goes further than just hugging and congratulating each other after the games. It’s making space for other women to be strong and ­intimidating and powerful.

“So if you’re up against me, and I’m there hitting you in the face, that is me supporting you — because I want to push contenders to be as strong as they can be, and doing those hard things makes you strong.”

It is no coincidence then that Cyclone’s on-screen look is as fierce as her presence.

She explained: “I knew from the start that I wanted to be intimidating, and you can portray yourself with a very strong image as a woman, through your hair and make-up.

“A shout out to my make-up artist, because I don’t know how she gets it all to stay put, and there are no ­problems with the long hair, either, because I’m so tall that nobody is coming near my head.”

Cyclone was named the 84kg+ ­Powerlifting Junior World Champion in 2023 and has a huge following on YouTube, where she teaches lifting techniques.

But she considers herself an all-rounder, with a career also ­spanning athletics and gymnastics.

Growing up, she was in awe of the top sports stars and dreamed of making it on to TV.

Cyclone revealed: “I grew up watching shows like Ninja Warrior, those Gladiators-style shows that were more my time.

‘I have so many skills’

“I loved watching them with my brother. We’d sit there together being like, ‘I could do that!’

“I never thought it would be something I’d have the opportunity to do, but I knew if it came up, I’d go for it.

“Over the last few years with the powerlifting — and having a gym- nastics and sprinting background — I have so many skills now, and it did get to a point where it felt like, ‘What do I do with them?’

“Then the Gladiators team called, and I thought, ‘This is perfect because now I can showcase everything I do.’

“I definitely thought that I’d be more likely to be a competitor on one of these shows and not the person that you were trying to defeat, but it’s definitely much cooler being on this side of it.”