Gemma Collins says ‘Dancing On Ice’ is "terrifying".
The 38-year-old star – who competed on ITV’s figure skating show with pro partner Matt Evers back in January – is set to return to the rink for the upcoming Christmas special, and she hopes her clashes with former judge Jason Gardiner will have inspired contestants to stand-up for themselves when the full series returns in 2020.
She told RadioTimes.com: "Yeah, right and all. To come out and skate, it’s terrifying. My legs went to jelly.
"I told Matt Evers before I came out, to punch my leg as I couldn’t feel them! I’ve never all my life experienced nerves like it.
"It was a struggle for me. I wasn’t the quickest but I was the most fun and the most entertaining."
The ‘Diva Forever’ star has piled the pressure on the contestants for the 2020 run – including the likes of Trisha Goddard, Maura Higgins, Kevin Kilbane and Joe Swash – and insisted they are "much more advanced" than last year’s celebrities.
She added: "Everyone is so much more advanced then we were last year.
"How amazing for them, because the better you are an ice-skater, the more tricks you can do. It’s going to be easier for them."
Meawhile, the GC is excited to be back for the festive special, and she sees herself as "part of the furniture" now.
She previously told BANG Showbiz: "I cannot wait to get them skates back on my feet. Literally, the day I finished ‘Dancing on Ice’, I went, ‘I’m never putting them on again.’
"Six months down the line, the show starts casting new people and I’m like, ‘I need to get back on that ice!’
"So I met with the producers, we had a lovely lunch and yeah I’m very excited, it’s such an amazing show, it did wonders for me and my career.
"If it wasn’t for ‘Dancing on Ice’, I wouldn’t have had the epic year that I’ve had and I’m part of the furniture there, so I can’t wait to get the skates back on."
Gemma Collins: Dancing On Ice is ‘terrifying’
