No.1 for Interviews - Dancing On Ice
Dancing on Ice

Dancing on Ice is back for its sixth series and this year it’s bigger, better and even more encrusted in sequins than ever before! Here the stars of the show talk to No.1

Holly and Phillip
Phillip and Holly reflect on past series of Dancing On Ice and tell us what they are looking forward to this time round.

Who do you think has been the best skater on Dancing On Ice to date?
Holly: I think that Ray Quinn was a great skater for Dancing on Ice, I absolutely loved it when he did the infamous scissor jump. Watching him every week, it was hard to believe he hadn’t skated before.
Phillip: Suzanne Shaw was probably the most beautiful and graceful. Ray Quinn was the most impressive, especially when he did the scissor jump – nobody had done that before. I thought Chris Fountain was the most solid, a bit tiger-like but also very graceful for a geezer. What is brilliant about everyone is that they all come in and say, ‘I am not wearing sequins and you are not putting me in that’ but, by the end of the series, shirts are open, and they’ve got fake tans, false eyelashes – the works!

What would you say is Dancing on Ice’s greatest moment?
Holly: I have a few favourite moments that have stuck in my mind; David Seaman safely landing his partner Pam on the ice, Suzanne Shaw flying for the first time and getting sixes across the board and, of course, it’s always great to see Torvill and Dean skating.
Phillip: There is no question; to me the greatest moment is Todd Carty. It still makes me laugh now. Tony Gubba, who is an incredible professional commentator, lost it, it made him laugh so much! Just the thought of the shambles that was going on backstage with the guys trying to pick him up, turn him round and get him back on the ice is hilarious! It was
extraordinary, he went off like Norman Wisdom and popped back on again, it was one of those moments when everything was perfect. Very, very funny.

What are you looking forward to most this series?
Holly: I’m looking forward to seeing our celebrities transform from Bambis on ice to skating superstars!
Phillip: We are in a different place this year, which is nice as it is nearer my house! I think the new set looks beautiful so there’s a whole new feel. It has a much more contemporary feel but there is only so much you can do with a great big slab of ice in the middle of a studio floor.
That’s what is always going to be our issue – how do you make the ice look amazing! They’ve shaken it up and have got some surprises up their sleeves to keep the contestants on their toes.

How do you feel when you strongly disagree with the judges’ comments?
Holly: I think it’s difficult sometimes when the judges are hard with the contestants because everyone knows just how hard they have worked, but, as long as the criticism is constructive, then it can only be good.
Phillip: I tend to try and always be on the side of the skater. Generally Jason is only saying what people at home are thinking. There will be half of me that thinks, ‘Oh my god’, but the other half is laughing myself silly. I find what he says hilarious.

Will we ever see you two on the ice?
Holly: Phillip thinks I have a conspiracy going so that I keep getting pregnant to stop me going on the ice, but, even without a huge bump, I think it’s safer for everyone if I stay rinkside!
Phillip: I would like to do something with Holly but she does very conveniently get pregnant every time we get near it. I have had lessons and I’m rubbish! The boots hurt my feet and I get grumpy and it is hard work and I can only do it on a Friday afternoon and that is not enough. So you either have to commit yourself to it fully or you do what I do and stand with a shiny suit at the side of the rink!

Vanilla Ice
Is skating easier or harder than you thought?
It’s a lot harder than I thought. I guess you get really good after years and years of experience. I have a huge appreciation for people who do this sport professionally because there is a lot of skill involved and a lot of talent. For a person who has never been on the ice before it is incredibly hard. My partner [Katie Stainsby] is just so good, I love watching her do the spins and jumps.

What were you looking forward to the most?
I was looking forward to having a good time, it is an adventure. It is something that I will be able to talk about with everyone. I am way out of my comfort zone and it’s a huge challenge for me. I am just having fun with it and will enjoy the ride.

What are you dreading most?
Humiliating myself in front of all those people! I am totally out of my element so people are going to be looking at me falling or dropping Katie! I am afraid I’m going to hurt her!

What do you think of the outfits?
I was nervous at first! I am conscious about what my rapper image will look like. All my fans will see it so I am a little conscious about that and how it looks, but so far so good because I look better than I expected. I didn’t think I was going to look this cool!

Had you skated much before you got on the show?
Zero, never in my life! I’ve kind of always wanted to run across the ice and slide on it but I’ve never even done that!

What do your family and friends think?
They all think I’m crazy but it is not the first time they’ve thought that! My little girls love it, they are my sweethearts. Now I don’t need to be so embarrassed if I ever go skating with them. I have two girls, they are 13 and 10, they’re great.

Denise Welch
Would you say the skating is keeping you fit?
It’s very good, I’ve lost nearly a stone and I’m firming my bum, it’s the most exercise I’ve ever done consistently. Because I am with Matt we are laughing a lot too so that’s great therapy.

Who do you think is your main rival?
Jennifer is good and I’ve seen people in training and you think, ‘Oh God, I’m not doing that!’ Matt’s told me off for that as we just need to concentrate on us and how we are doing.

What are you dreading?
I’m dreading forgetting the routine like I would forget my lines. I’m dreading falling or letting Matt down and I’m dreading my children being mortified with embarrassment!

What do you think of the outfits?
It’s just fantastic as long as I don’t look like mutton dressed as lamb, but it’s every girl’s dream! I never really had those sticky-out party dresses when I was young so I have waited a long time for them and now my time has come.

What do your family and friends think?
I think they are excited now, they were very concerned at the beginning, they thought I was
completely mad! My husband, Tim, didn’t want to get the three in the morning phone calls with me crying down the phone saying, ‘why did you let me do this?’ I think I’m the second oldest women this series and one of the oldest to do Dancing On Ice, so, from that point of view, you are more aware that if you fall and hurt yourself it’s going to take you longer to mend. I think it makes you skate with more caution, you’re stiffer when you’re older and also because you’re more nervous of falling. Getting Matt as a partner has relaxed me a bit because I trust him so much.

How would you describe your skating now you’ve been training?
Obviously it’s come on leaps and bounds. What Matt says is that I’ve been skating 25 hours not 25 years, we have a few weeks to learn what people would normally take two years learn.

Kerry Katona
How disciplined have you had to be with your training?
Dan and I work with the trainers in such a way that we have a great time training and you get so much more done when you are enjoying yourself. However, we do train every day.

What’s your skating partner like?
My partner is Dan Whiston, who, within a few weeks, has become such a good friend, he is the best skating partner. I had the biggest grin on my face for days when I found out he was my partner, I’m so happy!

Is skating easier or harder than you thought?
It is one million per cent harder than I thought it would be but it is so enjoyable!

What are you doing to try and get the edge over your competitors?
I am thinking about putting a load of oil on the ice before they go on to make it even more slippery!

What do your family and friends think?
My family and friends are really made up and are all very excited for me. They’re massive fans of the show and they know how much I’ve been enjoying myself.

Who was your favourite skater from last year?
It would have to be Hayley – she was a very good skater, and she danced with Dan, who is now my partner. I also thought Gary Lucy was really very good, I thought he might win.

Jeff Brazier
Have you had any falls?
I’ve had a few falls but there was one particularly bad one when I really smacked my elbow and my back where I landed on my mic pack. It was really memorably painful and it always stays with you so you’re a little bit more cautious after it.

Who do you think is your main rival?
Everybody keeps saying to me that it’s easy for the girls because they just get lifted and I can kind of see what they mean because I’m having to lift my partner and I am so scared of dropping her! I can’t explain the fear!

Is skating easier or harder than you thought?
I have a realistic respect for skating because I have tried it in the past and just felt like I was absolutely useless at it! I’m really enjoying improving myself now though and it’s amazing how much you can progress.

What are you dreading?
I think lifting, I’m terrified about it to be honest. There is a lot to remember so I am hoping the choreography is something I can keep up with and absorb so that I don’t let my partner down on the night.

Would you say the skating is keeping you fit?
Yes my legs have got really quite big and I’m losing weight around my waist, but I am also going to the gym a lot as well and working out. The paranoia of dropping my partner on the ice is obviously driving me to the gym!

Jennifer Metcalfe
How is your training going?
It’s going really well, I’m still filming Hollyoaks so the hours are crazy but, because I love it so much, I don’t see it as a chore. I’m so excited about it!

What were you looking forward to most?
I was looking forward to the whole experience. I don’t really feel nervous yet and I am hoping it stays like this. Every week I look forward to all my friends and family coming down and watching me and seeing me in a different light.

What do you friends and family think?
They are probably more excited than me! My mum was a little bit apprehensive when I told her I was doing it and I think she was petrified of the blades and me falling over. She is beside herself with excitement now, she has been designing T-shirts for the live shows!

What do you think of the outfits?
I don’t mind them. I wasn’t sure about one of them though, it’s a big frilly meringue dress and I look like a big flower!

You’ve got Sylvain as your skating partner, what’s that like?
Oh he is amazing! He’s not strict, he is exactly how I wanted him to be. I think if he had come down on me really heavy and started shouting at me I would have been like, ‘Oh shut up’ and wouldn’t have responded very well. He’s not too soft either though, he definitely makes me work! I’m a good student.

Johnson Beharry
How is your training getting on?
The training is going fine, I am never happy though. I think everyone else is pleased with how my training is progressing though. People who work at my training rink can’t believe how much I’ve developed on the ice in a few short weeks. Today my trainer [Jodeyne] showed me how to do backward crossovers and, after 20 minutes, I was doing it all by myself, but I am never happy. Everything I do in life has to be 100 per cent.

Have you had any falls?
I hadn’t fallen properly until the other day. I just lost it and fell in front of the camera. It’s the only genuine fall I’ve had to date, apart from yesterday, I was just standing talking, I turned round and just fell down!

Has Jodeyne been quite strict with you?
She hasn’t been telling me off but she knows what she is doing. She is really good at what she does. We connected straight away from day one.

Would you say the skating is keeping you fit?
It’s working a lot of muscles that I never knew I had! I enjoy it and even after this show I’m going to carry on skating. Slowly I am losing the belly! I haven’t checked my weight lately but the last time I checked I was losing weight quite rapidly, I dropped six kilograms in four weeks. I went on a diet before I started training but had to come off it as I was too hungry!

How do you rate your chances of winning?
I don’t really know about winning but I will give it my best shot. It’s not really up to me though, it’s up to the public.

 

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