Key Aspects:
- A circus performer who was recently onboard a Celebrity Cruises’ ship had an impromptu stunt go wrong while using an X-Pole on the pool deck.
- Due to sweat and humidity, the performer slipped on the pole and landed on her head.
- She was thankfully uninjured and has been laughing about the fail with thousands of others on social media.
A recent cruise guest made more of an impact than she bargained for during a recent Celebrity Cruises’ sailing, and her fail is spreading like wildfire on social media.
Marylee Whitlock, who is a 28-year-old circus performer, couldn’t resist trying out the X-Pole while onboard an undisclosed Celebrity cruise ship.
The pole had been added for the high-energy “Shine the Night” deck party, which debuted on Celebrity Ascent at the end of 2023.
The party is currently hosted onboard Celebrity’s Edge-class ships (Celebrity Apex, Celebrity Ascent, Celebrity Beyond, and Celebrity Edge), as well as Celebrity Silhouette.
It is expected to continue to roll out to more ships in the fleet and will be part of the entertainment line-up for the upcoming Celebrity Xcel.
But for Whitlock, what should have been a routine stunt for the skilled artist resulted in the performer falling on her head at the bottom of the pole.
She was performing a shoulder mount, which went wrong because sweaty hands and humidity made the pole slicker than expected.
“The move is called a shoulder mount, and was going well until my hips went above my head, at which point the humidity and sweat made the pole slick and I came crashing down,” Whitlock told What’s The Jam.
Watch the shocking video, which has been viewed more than 213,000 times, below:
Do Not Try This At Home
Understandably, the viral video has left many cruise fans stunned and embarrassed on the performer’s behalf.
“I thought her head went through the floor,” one viewer exclaimed with a crying laughing emoji.
“Immediately would have went straight to my room and stayed there lol,” another person wrote.
“The way those two men looked at her and then carried on with their conversation had me,” another amused watcher chimed in.
Thankfully, Whitlock was not injured and her dignity is intact. She has found humor in the incident instead of embarrassment.
She has even been posting versions of the fail to fit social media trends and as funny song mash-ups, such as showing the fall on repeat set to Gwen Stefani’s “Hollaback Girl.”
Read Also: 10 Worst Cruise Fails You Can Prepare For
Additionally, it’s important to keep in mind that Whitlock is a highly trained professional who knows how to fall safely.
The reason why she likely walked away from the incident without injury is because she tucked her head correctly just before the fall – which is why it looks like her head disappeared into the floor – and was able to safely roll out of the awkward position.
“This is inherently dangerous and I have been trained to fall in situations like this – no one should try it at home or without the help of a professional, and insurance,” she said.
It’s also important to note that while she is not a contracted performer for Celebrity Cruises, Whitlock did get permission before using the X-Pole.
“I asked who was going to use it or if I could use it, and they said yes,” she confirmed.
For the average cruiser, they would be much safer keeping the fun on the dance floor.
There is still plenty of fun to be had at the “Shine the Night” party, including grooving on the electrified dance floor, enjoying live performances, and getting decked out in their shiniest outfits for the after-dark celebration.
