We’re a few months away from the launch of Dancing On Ice 2019, however, the first two celebrity contestants have already been confirmed.
As announced earlier today, reality star Gemma Collins and actor/rapper Richard Blackwood have been revealed as the first two contestants for the new series.
Gemma Collins is no stranger to reality shows, having made her name on The Only Way Is Essex, followed up by appearances on shows including I’m A Celebrity!…Get Me Out Of Here and Celebrity Big Brother. However, she is now ready to take on another challenge.
Speaking with Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby on This Morning, Gemma said: “Do you know what – as a young girl, my brother used to play ice hockey, so I was at the ice rink a lot.”
“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. I love the costumes, I want the fun factor. I just really want to give this a go!”
We got this candy ??
Can Reality Queen Gemma Collins (@missgemcollins) become an Ice Queen for #DancingOnIce 2019? pic.twitter.com/KMHnEjYL0l
— Dancing on Ice (@dancingonice) October 1, 2018
Richard Blackwood is best known for his roles as Vincent Hubbard in Eastenders and Donkey in the West End production of Shrek the Musical. “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.”
Star of stage and screen @RB_Official is about to become a star of the rink ?
Welcome to the #DancingOnIce family, Richard Blackwood! pic.twitter.com/wPPjlkRZnU
— Dancing on Ice (@dancingonice) October 1, 2018
Dancing on Ice, hosted by Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby, returns to ITV in the New Year.