Ekin-Su Culculoglu has said she fears doing a Gemma Collins by falling over during a performance on Dancing On Ice.
The 28-year-old Turkish actress, who won Love Island last year with Davide Sanclimenti, is partnered with professional Brendyn Hatfield in ITV’s celebrity ice skating show, which returns tonight.
Asked about the most nerve-wracking part of taking to the ice for her first performance, Culculoglu said it would be doing a “Gemma Collins”.
Former The Only Way Is Essex star Collins is one of the skating competition’s most memorable contestants.
The 41-year-old took part in 2019, but had a rocky time. She fell flat on her face on the ice but managed to get up and carry on with her performance.
Ekin-Su said if it happens to her “it will be hilarious – you’ve got to laugh at it and style it out, and we’ll be trending for five years on YouTube. Bonus, right?”
Elsewhere during the press call with the PA news agency and other media, she said she thinks if you are not “falling” on the ice “you’re not doing it right”.
“You have to fall on the ice to do well, to get better to learn, ice skating is no joke,” she said.
“So, like, you have to listen to your coach, you have to take those steps, and if you fall it is scary, you have to protect yourself, but you just have to get back up.
“It’s all about being strong and understanding that it’s OK to hurt yourself. It’s fine, and not being scared and not letting it put you off the whole experience.”
Ekin-Su added: “I’m nervous, not going to lie… because it’s live.
“So, like, if we flip one little movement it will basically mess up the whole thing and I think before the live I’m told we go over it at least… 10 times so it’s like memorised.”
On the Dancing On Ice costumes, she said: “The outfits are so glam, guys. They’re lovely, and I think the guys are great, the girls look great.
“It’s just such a glamorous production. You know, you’ve got the fake eyelashes, you’ve got the extensions and you’ve got the fishnet tights.”
Dancing On Ice airs on ITV and ITVX on Sundays.
