The first two contestants participating in the next series of Dancing on Ice have been confirmed.
As revealed on Monday’s episode of This Morning (1 October), Gemma Collins and Richard Blackwood will be picking up the skates when the returns to ITV next year.
Collins – who has previously appeared on reality shows I’m a Celebrity and Big Brother – is best known for ITV2 show The Only Way Is Essex. Speaking to This Morning hosts Philip Schofield and Holly Willoughby, she said: “As a young girl, my brother used to play ice hockey, so I was at the ice rink a lot.”
She continued: “I know how hard it is. I’ve done my research, Phil – I am scared, I am nervous, I don’t know how they’re going to lift me up and how fast I can move around the ice, but I really want to give it a go.”
Former EastEnders star Blackwood was hotly tipped to be a contestant following a string of posts on the competition’s official Instagram page.
He said: “I grew up in Sweden, so I used to skate out there,” he said. “I can skate, but I normally dance on dry land. So dancing and skating are two different things, which I’ve got to combine.”
Other celebrities expected to be taking part include broadcaster Gaby Roslin, Westlife’s Brian McFadden and Love Island champ Dani Dyer, who is said to have been offered £100,000 to appear.
Dancing on Ice returns to ITV early next year. Last year’s series was won by former X Factor contestant Jake Quickenden.
