Jemma Palmer

Last updated

Jemma Palmer
Eve - Jemma Interview.jpg
Palmer in 2010 with Pro-Wrestling: EVE
Birth nameJemma Sara Palmer [1]
Born (1983-04-10) 10 April 1983 (age 41)
Tamworth, Staffordshire, England
Ring name(s) Jemma Palmer
Inferno
Penelope Carwin
Billed height5 ft 6 in (1.68 m)
Billed weight128 lb (58 kg; 9.1 st)
Trained by Ultimate Pro Wrestling
Debut2005
Retired2011

Jemma Sara Palmer [1] (born 10 April 1983) [2] is an English businesswoman, television personality, model and former professional wrestler. She is best known by the name Inferno, which she used in the 2008 British television series Gladiators . [2] She mainly worked on the British independent circuit during her professional wrestling career, with a brief stint at WWE, where she was assigned to their development territory Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW). She also appeared on the twelfth season of the UK version of Big Brother.

Contents

Professional modelling career

Palmer grew up modelling under the encouragement of her mother, [3] winning the Little Miss Midlands and Miss Littlesea competitions as a child. [4] As an adult she entered a number of competitions, becoming a finalist in the 2006 Musclemania Britain which she later won, [5] Miss Hawaiian Tropic, Ms USA Dream Bikini Body and Miss Maxim UK competitions. She also came third in the Maxim Little Black Book UK modelling competition. [2]

She went on to model in many publications including Muscle & Fitness , Nuts , Loaded , [6] WWE Magazine , [7] and FHM . [8]

Following Palmer's success at gaining celebrity status within the fitness and entertainment industries, she now also judges the types of contests that launched her career. She announced that she would be judging the 2017 Bodypower model search.

Television appearances

Gladiators

While her mother encouraged Palmer into modelling, her father encouraged her into athletics. [3] She enrolled in the cadets where she began to train in climbing, abseiling and amateur wrestling. [4] She would later gain a purple belt in submission wrestling. [9]

As a fan of Gladiators growing up, when rumours mounted of a revival show in 2008 she began sending promotional material to television companies. Her wrestling manager landed her an audition for the similarly timed American Gladiators revival, but she received a call up for Sky1's British version days later and passed their fitness test. She performed in both series of Gladiators under the name Inferno, sporting red hair and a fiery, flirtatious personality. [9] Despite not appearing on the American version, BBC America aired Gladiators in the United States. [3] As a cadet, she also later appeared on Sky1's Battle of The Forces which pitted the British Army, Royal Navy and RAF against each other. [9]

Some of the most popular Gladiators characters, including Gladiator Inferno, were imortalised as action figures for fans to purchase and are now collectables. [10]

Big Brother

Palmer became a contestant on the twelfth series of Big Brother , replacing Mark Henderson who chosen to walk on Day 27. She was reunited with her sister Faye, who had been in the competition since the beginning. Much of her time in the house was centred around a feud with Aaron Allard-Morgan, who was dating her sister at the time.

During the "stranded world" shopping task the housemates were given a Big Brother's clue to the correct combination was "Jem's age (28) / the number of people whom Aaron had snogged", viz. (Tom+Faye+Maisy = 3) giving the number 2803 which opened the lock and allowed them to get the rations. As Jemma was lying about her age the lock could not be opened, the remaining three "stranded" housemates walked from the task room, failing the task.

On Day 33, during the shopping task, Big Brother outed Jemma's actual age as 28, not 25 as she had previously stated.

She chose to walk on Day 48. As she had been up for eviction, this forced Big Brother to change course, and in a twist move, it was announced that any housemates who had been nominated (which included Faye), were now up for eviction. Ultimately, Faye was saved by the public, but was evicted from the house a week later.

Professional wrestling career

Independent circuit (2005–2011)

Along with her other exploits, Palmer also was a fan of professional wrestling, particularly the original incarnation of D-Generation X. [11] In 2005, she began to appear for the Frontier Wrestling Alliance (FWA) mainly as a valet for Doug Williams.[ citation needed ] This led to her having a try out match with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), alongside Katarina Waters who went on to become Katie Lea Burchill. [11] Although she was not signed, she was later offered a scholarship to train at Ultimate Pro Wrestling. [12] During her time on the circuit, Palmer filmed a reality television show based on professional wrestling as one of the three lead stars.[ citation needed ]

After much training, she was booked for her debut match against Jetta at Pro-Wrestling: EVE's first show on 8 May 2010 in Sudbury, Suffolk. [13] Before her match with Jetta, she suffered an injury in her hand but wrestled the match anyway, with a storyline written in that Jetta attacked her and goaded her into a match while she was explaining the injury to the crowd. The referee stopped the contest and awarded it to Jetta out of concern for Palmer's health. [14]

Palmer joined the British wrestling company United Kingdom Wrestling (UKW), where she became the UKW Women's Champion. Here, she was introduced to the crowd as "Inferno Jemma Palmer" and was accompanied to the ring by her sister Faye.

WWE

On 29 June 2009, it was announced that Palmer had signed a contract with WWE. [7] She was assigned to WWE's development territory Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW), and was set to wrestle under the ring name Penelope Carwin. However, visa issues prevented her from ever making an appearance for the promotion. [15]

Business interests

In October 2011, Palmer invested in a company called Buff Naked Butlers, which provides semi-naked butlers for events in Wales and England. [16] [17] She also part owns cocktail and events company Tipsy Parties.

In November 2017, Palmer launched tech company Infinitus Unlimited, a business consultancy providing business automation and workflow streamlining.[ citation needed ]

Championships and achievements

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Women in WWE</span> History of Women in WWE

Throughout its history, women have served in various onscreen roles in the American professional wrestling promotion WWE. In the 1990s, WWE introduced the term Diva to refer to its female performers, including wrestlers, managers or valets, backstage interviewers, or ring announcers.

<i>Big Brother</i> (British TV series) series 1 Season of the UK television series

Big Brother, also retrospectively known as Big Brother 1, was the first series of the British reality television series Big Brother. The show followed eleven contestants, known as housemates, who were isolated from the outside world for an extended period of time in a custom built House. Each week, one or more of the housemates were evicted by a public vote. The last remaining housemate, Craig Phillips, was declared the winner, winning a cash prize of £70,000. Phillips became the first male winner to win the series.

<i>Big Brother</i> (British TV series) series 2 Season of television series

Big Brother 2001, also known as Big Brother 2, was the second series of the British reality television series Big Brother. The show followed eleven contestants, known as housemates, who were isolated from the outside world for an extended period of time in a custom-built House. Each week, one or more of the housemates were evicted by a public vote. The last remaining housemate, Brian Dowling, was declared the winner, winning a cash prize of £70,000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Serena Deeb</span> American professional wrestler

Serena Deeb is an American professional wrestler signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW). She is well known for her first stint with WWE, appearing on the SmackDown brand and also known for her time with the developmental territory Florida Championship Wrestling, under the ring name Serena.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eve Torres</span> American professional wrestler

Eve Torres Gracie is an American actress, dancer, model, martial arts instructor, and retired professional wrestler. She is best known for her tenure in WWE, where she was a three-time WWE Divas Champion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gabbi Tuft</span> American professional wrestler

Gabbi Alon Tuft is an American TikToker, nutritionist, and retired professional wrestler. Tuft is best known for her time with WWE under the ring name Tyler Reks. Tuft also competed in WWE's developmental territory Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW), where she won the FCW Florida Heavyweight Championship once and the FCW Florida Tag Team Championship twice, once with Joe Hennig and once with Johnny Curtis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aksana (wrestler)</span> Lithuanian professional wrestler, fitness model and bodybuilder

Živilė Raudonienė is a Lithuanian fitness model, bodybuilder, and retired professional wrestler. She is best known for her time in WWE, where she performed under the ring name Aksana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mason Ryan</span> Welsh actor and former professional wrestler

Barri Griffiths is a Welsh stunt performer, actor, and former professional wrestler. He is best known for his time with WWE, where he performed under the ring name Mason Ryan from 2009 to 2014. He joined Cirque du Soleil in 2016.

Angela Carolyn Fong is a Canadian professional wrestler, model, ring announcer, cheerleader and actress. She is best known for her time at WWE from 2007 to 2010 under the ring name Savannah, and at Lucha Underground from 2014 to 2019, under the ring name Black Lotus.

Christina Crawford is an American cheerleader, dancer, and retired ring announcer and professional wrestler. She is best known for time in WWE, under the ring name Caylee Turner. She is the younger sister of professional wrestler Alicia Fox.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shaul Guerrero</span> American professional wrestler

Shaul Marie Guerrero is an American burlesque performer and retired professional wrestler and ring announcer. She is best known for her time with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), where she performed under the ring name Raquel Diaz. As a burlesque dancer she often performs under the stage name Miss Nyxon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saraya Bevis</span> British professional wrestler (born 1992)

Saraya-Jade Bevis is an English professional wrestler. She is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where she performs mononymously as Saraya. She is currently the leader of The Outcasts and is a former one-time AEW Women's World Champion. She is also known for her time with WWE under the ring name Paige. She was the youngest female champion in WWE history, a two-time WWE Divas Champion, and the inaugural NXT Women's Champion. She also remains the only woman to hold both a WWE and NXT Women's Championship simultaneously.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tenille Dashwood</span> Australian professional wrestler

Tenille Averil Dashwood is an Australian professional wrestler and travel influencer. She is best known for her tenure in WWE, under the ring name Emma. She is also known for her time in Ring of Honor (ROH) and Impact Wrestling, where she performed under her real name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Naomi (wrestler)</span> American professional wrestler and dancer (born 1987)

Trinity Fatu is an American professional wrestler and dancer. She is signed to WWE, where she performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Naomi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cameron (wrestler)</span> American professional wrestler (born 1987)

Ariane Nicole Andrew is an American former professional wrestler, singer, model and dancer. She is best known for her time in WWE, under the ring name Cameron. Under her real name, Ariane joined the 2011 season of Tough Enough where she was the first competitor eliminated. She later signed with WWE and joined Naomi in forming the Funkadactyls. From July 2013 to March 2015, Andrew was one of the main cast members of the reality television show Total Divas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Catrina (wrestler)</span> American professional wrestler

Karlee Leilani Perez is an American actress, model and retired professional wrestler. She is best known for her time in WWE under the ring name Maxine. She is also known for her appearances with Lucha Underground under the ring name Catrina between 2015 and 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ivelisse Vélez</span> Puerto Rican professional wrestler (born 1988)

Ivelisse Milagro Vélez, better known by her mononymous ring name Ivelisse, is a Puerto Rican professional wrestler. She is known for her time in Lucha Underground, where she twice held the Lucha Underground Trios Championship. Vélez also wrestles extensively on the independent circuit, most notably for Shine Wrestling, where she is the current Shine Champion, and a former Shine Tag Team Champion. Vélez has also performed for Impact Wrestling and All Elite Wrestling (AEW).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">AJ Lee</span> American author and professional wrestler (born 1987)

April Jeanette Mendez is an American author, screenwriter and retired professional wrestler. She is best known for her time in WWE under the ring name AJ Lee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Funkadactyls</span> Professional wrestling tag team

The Funkadactyls were a professional wrestling tag team consisting of Trinity Fatu and Ariane Andrew. The women initially worked for WWE as the dancers and valets of Brodus Clay in 2012–2013, but they soon separated to act alone in the women's division.

<i>Celebrity Big Brother</i> (British TV series) series 20 Season of television series

Celebrity Big Brother 20 was the twentieth series of the British reality television series Celebrity Big Brother, hosted by Emma Willis and narrated by Marcus Bentley. The series launched on 1 August 2017, and concluded on 25 August 2017 after 25 days, making this the shortest series since Celebrity Big Brother 12 in 2013. The series was on Channel 5 in the United Kingdom and 3e in Ireland with the spin-off show Celebrity Big Brother's Bit on the Side presented by Rylan Clark-Neal. It was the thirteenth celebrity series and twentieth series of Big Brother overall to air on Channel 5.

References

  1. 1 2 "Search Results for Civil Births in Birth, Marriage, Death & Parish Records". findmypast.co.uk. England & Wales Births 1837–2006. Retrieved 16 June 2019.
  2. 1 2 3 "Big Brother contestants 2011: Jemma Palmer, Jay McKray, Louise Cliffe and the rest". Mirror newspapers. 8 June 2014. Retrieved 23 November 2023.
  3. 1 2 3 MacIntyre, April (3 November 2008). "BBC America Gladiators UK: Interview with Inferno". Monsters and Critics. Archived from the original on 13 November 2009. Retrieved 30 May 2010.
  4. 1 2 "Intrigue Management Biography". Intrigue Management. Archived from the original on 29 June 2011. Retrieved 30 May 2010.
  5. ↑ "2010 Model World Tour profiles". Model World Tour. Archived from the original on 25 March 2010. Retrieved 30 May 2010.
  6. ↑ "New issue out now". Loaded. Archived from the original on 10 May 2010. Retrieved 30 May 2010.
  7. 1 2 Melanie (29 June 2009). "WWE signs new developmental Diva in UK Gladiator". Diva Dirt. Archived from the original on 10 July 2009. Retrieved 30 May 2010.
  8. ↑ "Gladiators goddesses face off in racy shoot". Evening Standard. 3 June 2008. Retrieved 9 July 2023.
  9. 1 2 3 Mohan, Megha (13 November 2008). "Gladiators Babe Interview". IGN . Archived from the original on 27 February 2012. Retrieved 30 May 2010.
  10. ↑ "Gladiators UK - INFERNO!".
  11. 1 2 Melanie (14 July 2008). "Dishin' Dirt with Jemma Palmer". Diva Dirt. Archived from the original on 21 July 2009. Retrieved 31 May 2010.
  12. ↑ "Ultimate University returns to the R1 Center in Los Angeles!". Ultimate Pro Wrestling. Archived from the original on 23 June 2010. Retrieved 19 July 2010.
  13. ↑ "Jemma Palmer". Pro-Wrestling: EVE . Archived from the original on 15 July 2010. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
  14. ↑ "Pro Wrestling Eve – A New Hope (Chapter One) (May 8, 2010)". BackBodyDrop.com. 29 August 2017. Archived from the original on 2 September 2017. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
  15. ↑ Csonka, Larry (24 February 2010). "WWE News: David Otunga Gets Media Attention, New Developmental Diva". 411Mania.com. Retrieved 9 July 2023.
  16. ↑ "Jemma Palmer's New Business Venture". PR Fire. 14 December 2011. Archived from the original on 7 September 2012. Retrieved 18 March 2012.
  17. ↑ "About Us". Buff Naked Butlers. Retrieved 18 March 2012.
  18. ↑ Kreikenbohm, Philip. "Evolution Women's Championship". cagematch.net. Retrieved 9 July 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.