No.1 for Interviews - Hayley Tamaddon
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Hayley Tamaddon: The
Star of Dancing on Ice
Katie McKenna talks to the winner of the much-loved skating show and former Emmerdale star about love, life and having bruises on your bum...
She was once part of the unsophisticated Dingle clan on hit soap Emmerdale, she is now the elegant winner of Dancing on Ice 2010. Here Hayley Tamaddon talks about the show’s rigorous training regime, tying the knot with fiancé Darren and bruises on her bum: the affliction of every serious skater.
Congratulations on your recent win! Did you enjoy the whole experience of the show?
It was absolutely amazing – the best thing I have ever done. It was so fulfilling and I got to live my dream by skating with Dan [Whiston, Hayley’s childhood friend].
Was it scary at the beginning?
It still is!
Did you have any ice skating experience before you started?
No none what so ever. I remember on my first day, me and Kieron Richardson [Hollyoaks star] started training on the same day and I couldn’t stop! I set off on two feet and couldn’t stop. I skated straight into the barrier and fell over and thought, ‘Right, that’s it. I’m never going to be any good at this!’ I thought for a while they would never partner me with Dan and when they did, it lifted my spirits and I thought, ‘Now I’ve got to do it for him.’ I just worked my socks off, every single day.
How hard is the training regime?
Training for us is generally up early in the morning and down to the ice rink for 8am. We then train for a few hours and that’s been every day since October 19th. Then you get your partner in November and start training with them. Then you have until January 4th when the show starts. So you have a couple of months with your partner to learn stuff before you are thrown into the live shows.
Did you notice a change to your body while you were training?
Absolutely. I’ve got muscles in my arms like Popeye at the moment and I’m not overly keen on them to be honest with you. Apart from that my whole body is totally toned: my bum is firmer and my thighs but I do feel a bit on the muscly side at the moment.
Did all the contestants on the show get along quite well?
For definite. The TV show was quite weird because you didn’t get to see everyone every day as you were always training, just you and your partner. You spent all your time with your partner and then at the weekends you would see everyone and catch up. Me and Kieron will always be mates. We started our training together and we finished together in the final so he’s like my little brother. We will be friends for life.
You have starred in a few reality TV shows like Soapstar Superstar and Soapstar Superchef. Do you like to keep challenging yourself?
Yes because I get bored really easily. When things like this come up I always think, ‘I’ve never tried it before but I want to give it a go!’ I’m a perfectionist and get angry at myself if I can’t do something first time around. Dancing on Ice was so much more of a challenge for me; much more so than a bit of cooking or singing. They are challenges but skating is incredible.
Yes but you could really hurt yourself!
Well I have quite a few times! I wish I could say that I have no injuries but within the first three weeks of rehearsals with Dan I got a nasty rib injury and it’s never gone away. Six months down the line we are still avoiding grabbing my ribs or anything like that. You just have to skate through the pain. Everyone has got bruises – I’ve got black bruises on my bum at the moment – they are just disgraceful, but it’s all just part of skating.
You were in Emmerdale for a long time. Do you miss being on the show?
Absolutely. It was a big part of my life and I loved it there and made some really good friends. You have just got to continue with your career and there are other things I want to do. The two years I was there were amazing but since I’ve left, I’ve been able to do so many more things, which has been great.
You have done loads of theatre as well. Do you prefer theatre work to TV?
I love both. I did a lot of theatre before I did TV. They are completely different things. Theatre you have got to be completely on the ball every single day of the week. There is no going out and having a party and then going in the next day because you won’t be able to sing or dance or do anything. Telly work is a lot more relaxed.
Do you ever get stage fright?
Yes and I don’t think I have ever been as nervous about anything as doing this show. Every Sunday I would go into panic mode just before I went on. In the end I had to do breathing exercises beforehand and they really did help me calm down. I used to get really wobbly legs – to the point where I thought that I would never be able to skate on. But it’s just part and parcel of it I think – you are on ice and you’re nervous about doing anything anyway and then you skate on and just think, ‘Oh my God!’
Has the media’s interest in you since winning the show affected your personal life?
I think the press surrounding these types of shows is not always going to be good. Being in this business, the press do totally try to get under your skin and try to ruin you sometimes but I am quite thick skinned and Dan has been my rock through all of this. My fiancé Darren has also been totally supportive.
Have you two set a date yet?
I don’t know. Every year we say we should do it this year and this year we said the same but there is so much work coming and I’m like, ‘Maybe we should get married instead?’ Darren’s like, ‘No, you should do the work!’
What can we expect from you in the coming months?
At the moment I’m just letting all the offers come in and enjoying that nice moment that doesn’t often happen to an actress of lots of things being laid on the table and me being able to pick – that never happens!
Tel: 0141 353 2222 Fax: 0141 332 3839 Email: sales@psp.uk.net Call may be monitored or recorded for training purposes
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