Gladiators star and ex pro rugby player Jodie Ounsley weighs in as Sydney Sweeney's naked betting advert is widely criticised

Gladiators star Jodie Ounsley has weighed in on Sydney Sweeney's controversial naked betting advert. 

Actress Sydney, 29, featured in a promotional video for bookmaker Novig in which she used various pieces of sports equipment to cover herself up.

The advert has drawn widespread condemnation from across the world of women’s sport, in particular from female Olympians.

Jodie, 25, who is a former professional rugby player, said: 'We've worked hard to earn respect for the sport we play and not how we look.' 

Elaborating on her views, she said in an interview with Talk Sport: 'I think the advert is more focused on female bodies and how they look rather than the actual sport and what our bodies can do and you know what we can achieve in sport. 

'I think there's lots of different sort of mixed feelings about it but it's just one of those things really. It's just great to be celebrated for what we can actually do rather than how we look.' 

Jodie joined the reboot of Gladiators in 2023 under her alter ego 'Fury'.

She already earned an impressive sports career making it to the GB Women rugby sevens provisional squad for the 2020 Summer Olympics and winning the Deaf Sports Personality of the Year award that year. 

Two years later she signed up for Exeter Chiefs Women. In 2024, Jodie announced she was leaving rugby sevens due to injury. 

It comes after British sprinter Amy Hunt hit out at the campaign. 

She said on Good Morning Britain on Tuesday: 'I think when we're trying to provide role models for young people and young women in sport, we really want to show that it's about what your body can do, not so much what it looks like. 

'When we see the stats of 64 per cent of young girls drop out of exercise and sport before they reach the age of 16, we don't need to place any kind of barrier whatsoever in their way in terms of providing the opportunity and the empowerment for them to still exercise, whatever that looks like, professional or kind of just going to do a park run with your friends. 

'So it's about empowering young girls and young women and young people to show that you really can just get out there and you don't have to worry what you look like. You don't have to worry about what you're wearing.'

Other athletes have spoken out against Sydney slamming the advert. 

Former Australian Olympic swimmer Ariarne Titmus, a four-time gold medallist, said: 'I can’t describe how infuriated I feel when I watch this. 

'Not only is it a kick in the face to every woman who had dedicated her life to perfecting her craft, but every women who enjoys sports for what it really is – teamwork, friendship, dedication, excellent, unity.

'How do we live in a world where monetising a women’s body and sexualising women’s sport is still a thing?' 

American gymnast Gracie Kramer posted a response on social media that read 'this is what a woman in sport looks like'.

It prompted a wave of responses from female athletes, including American diver Kassidy Cook, and has been liked more than a million times. 

Fellow Australian Olympian Matilda Kearns shared a video montage featuring clips of the country's women's water polo team training and competing alongside the words: 'I absolutely f**king hate Sydney Sweeney's new sports ad.'

In the caption, she said: 'Like what are we doing… so much worse than I imagined too. Here's some real women's sports content.'

And the actress has since hit back at critics of the advert, sharing a series of Instagram Stories that highlight female athletes who have appeared nude.

The actress posted photos of Serena Williams, Ronda Rousey, Sue Bird, Megan Rapinoe and Caroline Wozniacki posing for magazines.

She added that some male athletes have also previously posed nude.