Female Fighters

We pointed out the way gladiators inspired fashion houses like Balenciaga last season, and now it looks as if the ancient warrior look has spread to female fashion photography. Some of the UK's finest (in every sense of the word) athletes are featured in a shoot for FHM magazine, looking more like Xena Warrior Princess or VIP extras than the super star jocks they are. The foursome were photographed in very sexy combat outfits to promote their new TV show, Gladiator, a new UK TV show which stars a total of six heroines.

The shoot sees them compete to be the sexiest gladiator, but the show pits these feisty females against contestants who, if they win their fights, have a change at two £50,000 prizes.

Jemma 'Inferno' Palmer is 24 and was invited to compete in the WWE; Jenny 'Enigma' Pacey, also 24, is a professional long jumper, pentathlete and bobsled champ and used to host a show called Mission Implausible but is now taking stunt lessons; Lucy 'Tempest' Boggis is the baby of the bunch at 19 and is currently training for the 2012 Olympics; and blond bombshell Caroline 'Ice' Pearce, 27, is a former bobsleigher.

Missing from the shoot were Shirley 'Battleaxe' Webb and Kara 'Panther' Nwidobie.

The footage shows just how challenging this could get...