It’s still winter outside and this weekend 11 brrr-ave celebrities will be feeling the chill as they get their skates on with the return of ITV1’s entertainment spectacle Dancing on Ice 2023.
Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby host rink-side as the first six famous faces perform. Showing off their skills on the ice are ex-EastEnders actress and DJ Patsy Palmer, Liberty X star Michelle Heaton, ex-TOWIE favourite Joey Essex, olympic gymnast Nile Wilson, Love Island winner Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu and The Wanted’s Siva Kaneswaran.
Performing next week will be football legend John Fashanu, Coronation Street actress Mollie Gallagher, RuPaul's Drag Race UK winner The Vivienne, comedian Darren Harriott and ex-Hollyoaks and West End star Carley Stenson.
And watching over our stars every glide, twist and twirl will be the Ice Panel: dancers Ashley Banjo and Oti Mabuse, alongside ice-dancing royalty Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean. We caught up with the Olympic champions to find out more...
How does it feel to be back for another series of Dancing on Ice?
Jayne: "It’s always good to be back and it’s exciting when we get to see the new group of celebrities. There’s always a buzz because you wonder what’s going to happen and how far they are going to go."
Chris: "Like a lot of shows, you get to a certain time of year and it’s Dancing on Ice time! We’ve established that, come January, when it’s dark and bleak, on TV there’s a glitzy and over-the-top jeopardy show…"
What are you hoping for from this series?
Chris: "Something we haven’t seen before, something new and creative! We want to be wowed, we want to be excited. Sometimes your expectation on somebody, you think they'll be great, but then you get really surprised by others who take it on and just become good at it. I have a feeling The Vivienne will surprise people. We’re tossing down the gauntlet to everyone but there’s a gymnast, Nile Wilson, in there too!"
What advice would you give to Dancing on Ice’s Class of 2023?
Jayne: "The same as every year — put the hours in with all the basic training. But also enjoy it! If you enjoy it then you’ll want to do more and you’ll want to work harder. It’s about having fun at the same time as working hard."
Chris: "Everyone takes it very personally — it’s their Olympics in a sense. You get into this bubble and everybody is trying to do the best they can, to survive each week and get to the final. Each week, we always used to say that when we leave the ice, we want to feel like we’ve achieved something."
Finally, which celebrity would you love to see on the ice?
Chris: "Margot Robbie! She did play a skater once in a film."
Jayne: "Regé-Jean Page from Bridgerton! Shall we see if he’s free?"
Dancing on Ice skates back onto our screens on Sunday, January 15 at 6.30 pm on ITV1.
