Emily Steel, the Greater Manchester-born Gladiator known as Dynamite, is revealing a different side of herself as she competes in the 2026 series of Celebrity MasterChef. The 23-year-old, raised in Altrincham and Hale, is testing her cooking skills in front of judges Grace Dent and Giorgio Locatelli.
A Sporting Background
Before her TV fame, Emily was a talented swimmer, competing at national level before switching to CrossFit as a teenager. This change proved pivotal; she won a European CrossFit title in her age category in 2020 and competed internationally.
She later moved into weightlifting, winning gold in the women's 64kg category at the 2023 BUCS Weightlifting and Para Powerlifting Championships in Bangor. Her performance included a 71kg snatch and a 100kg clean and jerk, breaking the British U23 record.
Becoming Dynamite
Emily joined the BBC's Gladiators reboot at age 20, becoming the youngest member of the new line-up. Her Gladiator name, Dynamite, reflects her persona as “small, explosive and dangerous”. Standing around 5ft 5in, she has quickly become a formidable competitor thanks to her speed and power.
Beyond Sport and TV
Emily has also pursued music, releasing original songs including Walking Away, Something Like This, and Still Chasin' You. This career showcases a side far removed from her fierce Dynamite persona.
Now, Celebrity MasterChef offers another opportunity to show viewers what she can do outside sport. From her Greater Manchester roots to becoming a British record holder and appearing on major BBC shows, Emily has packed much into her 20s, proving there is more to Dynamite than the Gladiators arena. Celebrity MasterChef airs on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
