Jane Danson has joined the ‘Dancing on Ice’ line-up.
The ‘Coronation Street’ actress – who is known for playing Leanne Battersby in the long-running soap – has confirmed she’s set to take part in the forthcoming series of the skating show, which will return to screens early next year, and is excited for the "challenge" ahead – although she’s trying not to think about getting "damaged."
Speaking on ‘Loose Women’ on Thursday (04.10.18), she said: "I’ve known since July so quite a while, so I’ve had to keep it under my hat for a long time. The next few days I’ll be starting the training. I can skate a little bit. I think, obviously, when you take on something like this, you’ve got to expect that it’s not without risks but I’m not really thinking about that because I’m seeing it as a challenge."
And the 39-year-old star already has an advantage as she’s been speaking with her cast mates Samia Longchambon, Brooke Vincent and Antony Cotton – who have all appeared on the show before – and getting some tips from them.
She explained: "There’s a few of us from the cast who have been involved in the show before so I am getting loads of tips from Samia and Brooke and I’ve spoken to Anthony. I’ve got a real lovely support from the cast, which has been lovely."
Jane joins the likes of former ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ professional James Jordan,
TOWIE’s Gemma Collins, Boyzone’s Brian McFadden, Loose Women’s Saira Khan, Richard Blackwood, Melody Thornton, Mark Little, and cricketer Ryan Sidebottom, who have also been confirmed for the new series.
The last series – the first since it was axed in 2014 by ITV – saw the judging panel made up of skating champions Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean, acid tongue Jason Gardiner and Diversity’s Ashley Banjo, but it’s not yet been confirmed whether all four will reclaim their seats on the panel this time around.
However, former Olympic skater Karen Barber will reclaim her head coach position on the 11th series of the show after she missed out on the job this year.
She explained: "It’s a joy to return."
Jane Danson joins Dancing on Ice
