The first female winner of Gladiators may also be the biggest movie star you’ve never heard of.

Eunice Huthart claimed fame with her primetime TV triumph in 1994 when she overcame the odds to become the champion in the first series of the show – set to re-launch on BBC One this evening.

She was not only the first woman to win the contest but also then became the first competitor to be invited back to join the crew of the Gladiators themselves.

But the top of the Travelator would not be the peak of her dizzying career heights – Eunice went on to become a successful Hollywood stuntwoman appearing alongside Angelina Jolie in a string of blockbusters.

Her career on the silver screen has also seen her stand in for A-list actresses Uma Thurman, Famke Janssen and Milla Jovovich.

Former McDonald’s manager Eunice Huthart, from Liverpool, won the 1994 series of ITV show Gladiators – becoming the first woman to take the prize

Eunice has a stuntwoman for Hollywood A-lister Angelina Jolie, with the pair pictured here together while shooting Salt near the US Navy Memorial in Washington DC in March 2009

Eunice and Angelina attended a Cartier International Polo event in Windsor in July 2000

Former McDonald’s manager Eunice was given the name Blaze after successfully auditioning for the early-Nineties show – and her performances were swiftly spotted by a Hollywood agent.

Her new transatlantic career saw her carve out a niche as a much-prized stuntwoman for blockbuster movies.

And Eunice became such good friends with Jolie that she was chosen as godmother to Angelina and Brad Pitt’s daughter Shiloh Jolie-Pitt.

Her films include James Bond hit GoldenEye as well as The Avengers and Titanic.

But she later quit LA to return to her native Liverpool, saying she ‘missed’ her daughter Charlie.

And her home city was used for the Fast And Furious franchise’s sixth instalment, which involved closing the Birkenhead tunnel while returning Eunice to her roots.

She told the Liverpool Echo at the time: ‘We’re very lucky because Liverpool has this four-lane tunnel which directors just love filming in.

Eunice not only won the ITV series as a contestant but was invited backto be one of the Gladiators herself – given the name Blaze

Eunice, pictured here with Angelina Jolie in Washington DC while filming Salt in March 2009, is godmother to the actress’s daughter Shiloh Jolie-Pitt

Eunice has celebrated her post-Gladiators stuntwoman career by saying: ‘There’s nothing better than crashing fast cars, brushing myself off and waking up with bruises the next day’

‘It’s great for chase scenes – we worked in it for the Harry Potter films.

‘There’s nothing better than crashing fast cars, brushing myself off and waking up with bruises the next day and starting all over again.’

Her other films include such Angelina Jolie showcases as the Lara Croft movies and also Mr And Mrs Smith, where Angelina and Brad first got together.

Eunice has described her Liverpool council estate upbringing as ‘what defined me as the person I am today’.

She told the website Fit For Films: ‘It was a gigantic estate with so many kids which was insane – it was absolutely fantastic and the best environment any kid would want to be in.

‘I was laughing, running, climbing, jumping, fighting, crying, nursing wounds, but it was brilliant – I wouldn’t change it for anything.’

She also described how she got into the movie world to work alongside the likes of Angelina, following her Gladiators breakthrough.

Eunice admitted stunt work was ‘never on my radar’ but recalled: ‘Sometimes an element of good fortune and my good fortune was being seen on Gladiators.

The original British run of Gladiators was broadcast on ITV between 1992 and 2000, after being adapted from a hit US show – with this live event filmed in 1995 at Sheffield Arena

Comedian and quiz show host Bradley Walsh has been signed to lead the new BBC version

‘I was just seen on the show by the producers of GoldenEye, who were looking for a stunt double with a martial art background for Famke Janssen.

‘The movie opportunity just came along so I thought I would give it a go, even though it wasn’t in my plan.

‘I guess everything just came together and it was like a moment in time.’

And she has described the first Tomb Raider movie she did with Jolie as her favourite, saying: ‘The good thing was we got Angie really early, her diary was not like it is now.

‘She was all for it – she packed in drinking, smoking, she packed in everything.

‘She went on a healthy diet and did everything because she really wanted to honour Lara Croft, which was fantastic, because she was only 24 at the time.

‘She was still a youth – she had energy beyond belief and she was so co-ordinated, it was great.’

She described coming to terms with Jolie being left-handed but how they made things work after 16 weeks of training together, adding: ‘It gave me time so I could really study the way she stood, the way she moved, the way she’d look, where her weight would be.

Eunice Huthart performed as a stuntwoman for Angelina Jolie, pictured, in Lara Croft movies

Eunice also featured in the 1995 James Bond film GoldenEye starring Pierce Brosnan as 007

Eunice was approached when producers wanted a stunt double for Bond girl Famke Janssen

‘It was great fun. I even used to practice catching the ball with my left hand and do keepie-uppies with my left foot instead of my strong side, which was my right.

‘I redesigned everything about my body and how it moved to match Angie, it was brilliant fun.

‘I loved that we had a totally different training regime for me and we focused a lot on balance.

‘She had a very specific way she wanted to deliver Lara Croft, holding up some level of femininity without being a woman trying to fight like a man, a woman fighting as she would, I loved it.’

After originally being an ITV favourite, the new version of Gladiators being beamed this weekend will instead be on the BBC.

The corporation has promised a new crop of ‘superhumans’ competing against contestants in what has been dubbed the ‘ultimate test of speed and strength’.

It will be hosted by Bradley Walsh and his son Barney, with new Gladiators including deaf jiu jitsu champ and rugby player Jodie Ounsley as Fury.

There will also be weightlifting champion Sheli McCoy as Sabre – as well as Phantom, former GB bobsleigh team member Toby Olubi.

The new 11-episode BBC reboot has been accused of going ‘woke’ after axing both cheerleaders and certain ‘skimpy’ costumes.

He will be joined in presenting duties by his son Barney Walsh, seen here alongside his dad as well as new Gladiator performers given the names Viper, Giant and Phantom

The programme pits specialist Gladiators against contestants in a series of physical battles

Athena, Electro and Diamond are also among the new Gladiators preparing to take part

G-force was a group of eight women performing an array of dance routines alongside the contestants and Gladiators in the original ITV series.

And it was Donna Derby, Bradley Walsh’s wife and Barney Walsh’s mother, who was head choreographer back then for all eight series.

Other changes for the relaunch include more vigorous drug testing for contestants after the ITV programme found itself mired in steroid scandals involving those known as Ace, Hawk and Shadow.

Meanwhile, one of the most prominent ex-Gladiators Mike van Wijk – who performed as Wolf – has claimed the BBC snubbed his offer to join the new version.