Dancing On Ice star Alex Demetriou has opened up about the collapse of his marriage that took place after he was partnered with Love Island star Maura Higgins in the 2020 series.
The 28-year-old professional ice skater has been married to 29-year-old Canadian staking pro Carlotta Edwards since 2016 – but they saw their romance hit the rocks earlier this year under a cloud of speculation.
Rumours swirled that Alec had grown close to 29-year-old Irish beauty Maura while they performed together on the ITV winter sport contest.
And while Maura has repeatedly rejected claims she and Alex are anything other than friends, the British ice skater has kept quiet – until now.
Speaking to The Sun on Sunday, Alex hinted that jealously played a part in the collapse of his marriage.
He said: “I think Carlotta found it hard to see me close, yet so professional, with Maura. It had an impact on her.
“I told Carlotta we needed a break but I knew it was for good. I didn’t want to lead her on any more.
“She was shocked at how serious it was. I’m not going to lie — it was my decision. Clearly she was very upset.”
Alex goes on to reiterate that he and Maura are just friends and says growing close to contestants on Dancing On Ice is part of the show – arguing they wouldn’t be able to complete dare devil ice skating stunts without a certain level of trust.
The skater said he struggled to see Carlotta during the course of the intensive three month training sessions ahead of the DOI live shows in January as he trained with Maura while his wife trained with magician Ben Hanlin.
Alex said that seeking therapy for depression last year, and that through his sessions he also realised his future with Carlotta was over as they strived for different things.
The skate star explained that he wanted to settle down and plant his roots, but his wife was keen to work on cruise ships between Dancing On Ice duties.
“I wanted to be in the real world again and see my family. I had missed out on so much — just small things, like watching football in the pub or going to barbecues,” he explained.
“I’d be jealous of my mates doing these normal things. My dad used to be my best mate and I was barely talking to him,” he said.
He added he felt it would be unfair to ask Carlotta to change her ambitions for a quieter life – with the relationship finding an end.
Maura recently hit back at rumours she had developed a romantic relationship with Alex.
She said in March: “Alex and I are so close – we’ve trained together for months. Obviously, we’re going to be close, exactly like every other partner on the show. But that’s it. We’re very close friends and we get on well."
She added: “We have such a laugh, and we’re still going to be friends.
"No matter what’s said, I’m not going to be afraid to hang out with him. I’ve said to him: ‘I still want to go ice skating’."
