Monty Panesar has reportedly signed up to ‘Dancing on Ice’.
The former England cricketer has had somewhat of a turbulent time over the past few years as he’s openly battled with a mental illness and watched his marriage crumble before his eyes in 2013, but the sportsman is ready to show the nation that he’s stronger than ever and has agreed to take part in the skating reboot next year.
A source told The Sun Online: "Monty thinks ‘Dancing On Ice’ will show he’s still got that fight in him – as well as keeping him super fit."
The 35-year-old star – who was sacked from the Brighton cricket team four years ago when he urinated on bouncers during a boozy night on the town in Sussex – reportedly took a little bit of persuasion to sign up to the dangerous winter show, but bosses are no doubt thrilled with their success as he’s previously turned down the likes of ‘The Jump’ and ‘I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!’ in the past.
Although the line up is yet to be confirmed, it’s believed Love Island’s Kem Cetinay has agreed to slip on his skating shoes and hit the ice, Kim Kardashian West’s ex-boyfriend Ray J is said to be in talks and model Alex Gerrard has signed up.
Details of the reboot are being kept relatively under wraps but Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby – who fronted the original show together from 2006 until 2011 – have been confirmed as the hosts, while Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean – who coached the competitors on the original – will be head judges this time around.
The legendary duo will be joined by Jason Gardiner – who was known as "Mr Nasty" for his acid tongue remarks – on the judging panel, but one person will be noticeably missing from the show as Chris’ partner Karen Barber hasn’t been approached yet.
A source close to Karen – who used to coach and judge – said: "Understandably Karen is disappointed to have not received a contract yet – she loves ‘Dancing On Ice’ and is incredibly excited to see it returning to TV and of course she’d love to be part of it. It’s a bit of a kick in the teeth for Karen to see Jason Gardiner invited back and not her."
Monty Panesar signs up to Dancing on Ice
