Gemma Collins and Richard Blackwood are the first stars confirmed for the next series of ‘Dancing On Ice’.
The ‘Only Way is Essex’ star has always dreamed of being a skater so she can’t wait to start training for the celebrity show, even though she’s feeling "scared and nervous" about taking part.
She said: "As a young girl my brother used to play ice hockey so I was at the rink a lot and I remember seeing some white boots in the shop and asking my mum to be a skater but she said ‘No, you’re doing dance and drama and singing, you’re not doing any more, we can’t afford it.’ So I never got those white boots.
"I know how hard it is, I’ve done my research. I am scared and nervous, I don’t know how they’re gonna lift me up and how fast I can get around the ice… I really want to give this a go."
Meanwhile, Richard could be at an advantage over his fellow contestants as he admitted he’s got a lot of skating experience.
He said: "I grew up in Sweden so I used to skate out there. Frozen lakes, on the way to school and stuff, a lot of people don’t know that… Every Wednesday and Friday it was the hang out when we were teenagers."
And the news made Gemma reconsider her decision to sign up.
She quipped during a joint interview on ‘This Morning’: "Now I’m about to pull out of the show."
But the former ‘EastEnders’ actor insisted that doesn’t mean the show will come easy to him.
He said: "I can skate but I normally dance on dry land, dancing and skating are two different things. I can move, I can shake my stuff."
A host of famous faces, including Jane Danson, Emma Atkins, and Brian McFadden, have been rumoured for the show but Phillip Schofield – who hosts both ‘This Morning’ and ‘Dancing On Ice’ with Holly Willoughby – has ruled out one name.
Reading out a list of rumoured hopefuls, he commented: "Rylan Clark-Neal – Rylan will never do it, he can skate but he’s always said he’ll never do it."
Richard Blackwood and Gemma Collins sign up for Dancing On Ice
