BBC Strictly Come Dancing's Montell Douglas rushed to hospital in devastating health battle

Gladiator and Strictly Come Dancing star Montell Douglas has urged others to seek help if they suffer from the same debilitating health condition that she does and which landed her in hospital

Olympian track star Montell Douglas, who is appearing in Strictly, says she started convulsing from pain and had to call an ambulance in what was a "wake up call" for her.

It’s fair to say Montell Douglas is in pretty good shape. The Team GB Olympian and former British record holder for the 100 metres also plays Fire on Gladiators and is now competing in the BBC ’s Strictly Come Dancing where she's hoping her physical prowess will serve her well. "Hopefully, a few of my Gladiator moves will come in handy with the Tango or Paso Doble!" she said ahead of the start of the iconic talent show. Despite being in peak fitness, the 38 year old suffers with a debilitating health condition that she was rushed to hospital with.

Montell battles with excruciating period pains that stop her in her tracks and interfere with her daily life. She was prescribed strong painkillers to help manage the symptoms but they need to be taken in advance to work properly. A few years back she suffered the consequences of not doing so and ended up in hospital.

In an interview on Good Morning Britain earlier this year Montell recalled: "That hospitalisation for me was a kind of wake-up call. My body just started convulsing, and I was almost passing out, because the pain was so intense. I was overheating because of the hormones - my body couldn’t control its temperature, and that in turn made me dehydrated. The pain was in waves, coming in like contractions." She called an ambulance herself, was admitted to hospital and put on a drip. The Gladiators star teamed up with Bupa and decided to talk about the condition, called dysmenorrhoea, to encourage other women to seek help with their painful, heavy or irregular periods.

"I'm going to be really honest about it as I think it's something we really need to talk about more the agonising pain... not many people and not all women will experience the same thing," she said frankly. "It's so disruptive and it's very emotionally draining, not to mention physically draining."

She shared how it affected her personally when trying to train and compete: "It can be really defeating, there have been times in my sporting career and also being doubled over with pain, lying doubled over in pain in bed, or if I've made it to the track to train I'm just lying on the floor. The waves are so intense, not only are you focusing on what you're trying to do, which is always high level, it's very distracting. Often, I can't actually do the task I'm meant to do so I can't do a duel, I can't run, the pain of doing my sport is bad enough without having to think about that and challenge that."

After she was hospitalised, Montell had contraceptive implants put in, and says they’ve made a big difference to the severity of her period pain. "Since then, it’s been much more manageable in terms of the pain," she said. "And it just gave me some confidence in that when it comes, I’m not going to be at its beck and call. It’s something I can manage, rather than it managing me." Montell is appearing in Strictly alongside the likes of TOWIE’s Pete Wicks, fellow Olympian Sam Quek and Miranda star Sarah Hadland. If you or someone you know needs help or advice with period pain the NHS website has offers guidance.

Strictly airs on Saturday evenings on BBC1.