Saira Khan had diarrhoea on the lead up to her ‘Dancing On Ice’ routine.
The ‘Loose Women’ panellist was saved by the judges in a skate-off when her and pro partner Mark Hanretty took on former ‘EastEnders’ star Richard Blackwood – who was partnered with Carlotta Edwards – on Sunday night (20.01.19).
But Saira’s ITV co-star Nadia Sawalha, 54, has revealed that when she sent a "motivational" text to wish her friend good luck, the former ‘Apprentice’ contestant confessed the nerves had already set in moments before she took to the ice.
Speaking exclusively to BANG Showbiz, Nadia said: "I send her voicemails because for the last couple of years we’ve gone away together and we go to these health retreats in Ibiza, and she is an absolute powerhouse, she is so driven, so hardworking, I always say to her, ‘You should go into personal training as a side thing,’ because she’s so motivated. We’d all finish working out and she’d carry on for another hour.
"So I sent her a message saying, ‘Sending so much love, you will enjoy every second. She put back, ‘Aww thanks my darling, I’m looking forward to it.’ Then I put, ‘Just be prepared for how f**king scary it is just before you go on, so keep tunnel vision. You’re so physically and mentally strong and exquisitely beautiful, so you will pull it off.’
"She put, ‘Love you back, I’ve got diarrhoea, enjoy the show!’ She’s gotta stay, she puts the work in."
Nadia was speaking to promote a new study conducted by theme park Alton Towers, which has revealed how the nation’s concerns for 2019 will influence people’s behaviour, with Brits set to invest more than £8.2 billion on time spent with their friends and families.
Speaking about the important of fun family time, Nadia said: "I love to cook with my kids and go to theme parks and go on crazy rides with them. Home education is so much free learning, say for instance, we’ll have dinner with them and Mark and I will have thought up a subject and have a conversation and debate and they won’t even know what we’ve done."
The research was commissioned by Alton Towers Resort to mark the launch of Power of the Towers – a year of celebrating experiences that bring people together to create memories.
Saira Khan had diarrhoea before Dancing On Ice routine
