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~~Dancing On Ice : Series Three! 2008~~

This poll is closed

Who's Going to Win

Zaraah7%
Chris67%
Suzanne27%
Total votes: 15
Well here it is the full list is confirmed at last!!

1 Sarah Greene. FIRST OFF
2 Natalie Pinkham. SECOND OFF
3 Michael Underwood. FORCED OUT - BROKEN ANKLE.
4 Samantha Mumba. THIRD OFF
5 Aggie Mackenzie. FOURTH OFF
6 Tim Vincent. FIFTH OFF
7 Steve Backley SIXTH OFF
8 Linda Lusardi. SEVENTH OFF
9 Greg Rusedski. EIGHT OFF
10 Gareth Gates. NINTH OFF SEMI FINAL PLACEMENT
11 Zarrah - MICHAEL'S REPLACEMENT THIRD PLACE
12 Chris Fountain. SECOND PLACE

13 Suzanne Shaw. WINNER

Gareth Gates, Sarah Greene and Emmerdale actress Linda Lusardi are to appear on the new series of Dancing On Ice.

TV presenters Michael Underwood, Tim Vincent and Natalie Pinkham, sports stars Greg Rusedski and Steve Backley and Hollyoaks actor Chris Fountain will also compete on the third series of the ITV1 ice-skating contest.

The 12-strong lineup will be completed by former Hear'Say singer Suzanne Shaw, Aggie Mackenzie from How Clean Is Your House? and popstar Samantha Mumba.

Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby will once again host the show, which begins Sunday at 5.50pm on ITV1.

Olympic gold medallists Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean are to serve as coaches and co-presenters, while West End actress Ruthie Henshall will join the show's regular judging panel of Robin Cousins, Karen Barber, Nicky Slater and Jason Gardiner.

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Reply 1
THE BOYS

ONE = Tim Vincent
Age: 35
Profession: TV presenter and actor
Skating partner: Victoria Borzenkova ~NEW~
Celebrity supporters: Konnie Huq, Gareth Hale, Diane Louise Jordan
What to expect: As an ex-Blue Peter presenter, Tim can turn his hand to almost anything. He'll be one to watch.

With a successful career in Los Angeles, currently presenting a regular slot on NBC’s Access Hollywood as well as a brand new show called Phenomenon, Tim has to fit in training in between transatlantic flights, as he lives in New York. “At one point I did 75 hours flying time in seven weeks. LA to New York to London every single week and so my training has been minimal. Now I’m back on track with three hours of training a day. "Chris and Jayne are so nice and the coaches are so encouraging. You’ve got to ignore how good the other people are and just concentrate on your own situation.” But with his confidence on the ice slowly building week by week, Tim has time to focus his fears on his outfits instead! "Dancing On Ice can become a celebration of campness with all the costumes which I’m not so keen on. Apparently all the blokes say that absolutely every year, and they start off with a couple of sequins and end up looking like Dame Edna Everage. I’m waiting with interest to see if that happens." He is a bit more interested in the ladies’ ice fashion though. “I haven’t seen any of the girls in their Lycra yet unfortunately. It’s just mainly training every day and you’re with your partner and you’re in tracksuits it’s very unglamorous.” And more than anything, Tim cannot wait for the day that skating partner Victoria yells out the words ‘Yes! Yes! Yes!’ “My skating partner is Russian and the one word that I’ve learned from her so far is ‘niet’. Niet means no and as we keep skating round she keeps going ‘Niet! Niet! Niet!".

TWO = Chris Fountain
Age: 20
Occupation: Actor
Skating Partner: Frankie Poultney
Celebrity Supporters: Cast of Hollyoaks.
What to expect: Fast and furious moves from the youngest and most fearless of the skaters.

Hollyoaks pin up Chris Fountain should be right at home on the ice, as he used to play hockey semi professionally, but the actor reckons it’s actually a bit of a disadvantage: “I played ice hockey for two years but it’s completely different to what I’m doing now. The blades are different, the stance is different, the speed and the way you use your arms is different.” Thankfully Chris’s partner Frankie Poultney is giving him lots of support, although she has warned the actor that dropping her is not an option - particularly if he wants to keep his teeth. Frankie and I get on really, really well. We have a great banter and always take the mickey out of each other all the time. She said if I drop her we’ll both lose our teeth - she’ll lose them when she falls and I’ll lose them when she gets up” Having checked out his competition, Chris also reveals that Greg Rusedski and Suzanne Shaw are his main rivals: “Greg’s coming along really well and I’ve seen Suzanne Shaw on the ice before and she looks really good. I’ve kind of had a bit of an advantage by being able to skate, but that’s the thing I’m finding the hardest - normal skating and looking nice. I try to do as much training as I can. I’m a real perfectionist - if I can’t do something then I’ll try and try. And it looks like Chris is a whizz at dancing too. In fact he's most looking forward to throwing some serious shapes in his ice skates. “I liked Kyran last year because he was doing all the body popping and stuff. I can do that, but I don’t want to steal his thunder by doing it, so I’ve got to find a new move now.”


THREE = Greg Rusedski
Age: 34
Occupation: Retired tennis player, sports commentator
Skating partner: Kristina Lenko
Celebrity supporter: Duncan James
What to expect: The Wimbledon star knows how to work a crowd and he’s likely to serve up a few surprises in the competition.

Greg played ice hockey as a child but took up tennis because he felt he didn’t have a natural talent for the sport. “It’s quite funny because I used to play ice hockey as a kid but I wasn’t very good, that’s why I picked up tennis. Anyway, when I first met my wife we decided to go skating. I said to her, ‘Look I can skate really well.’ And the first thing I did was fall straight over on my face.” His skating has improved since then but the one thing Greg feels he’s lacking is in the grace department. “I’m not a very good dancer so I think it’s the elegance I’m missing and also I’ve got to work on getting my posture right. I’m definitely looking forward to getting out there and performing and trying to get the best score I possibly can." Greg also hints that he’s got some celebrity supporters planning to come down to watch him skate. “I’ve got a few friends coming up, I’ve got a few surprises. A lot of friends have said to me they’ll come out and support me so you’ll just have to wait and see.” Should we expect an appearance from Greg’s mate Tim Henman? Watch this space.

FOUR = Steve Backley
Age: 38
Occupation: Retired athlete
Skating partner: Susie Lipanova ~NEW~
Celebrity Supporters: Mark Foster, Liz McColgan, Roger Black, Jonathan Edwards.
What to expect: Amazing lifts. Javelin throwing Steve is very strong and could use his athletic grace to his advantage.

He may have picked up medals at three consecutive Olympic Games but Steve faces his toughest challenge yet as he swaps his javelin for a pair of ice-skates. “Being a complete novice, being six foot five and 16 stone does not do me any favours on Dancing on Ice. I’m a complete fish out of water. I’m scared to death. I’m absolutely scared *****less.” But despite his nerves, the ex-athlete reckons he’s having the time of his life. “They have to drag me off the ice! Athletics isn’t very showbizzy and this is the unknown for me. All the bling and the smiles and the ‘lights, camera, action’ is very exciting.” Steve is also expecting some serious jibes from his mates but knows that really they are all behind him. “Your mates are giving you a bit of stick about being dressed in Lycra and they’re laughing, but in a ‘good on you’ way. It’s a bit of fun and you don’t take yourself too seriously, you’re learning a skill and mixing with some lovely people so it’s great.” And although he’s good mates with the other boys, Steve sees Greg Rusedski and Hollyoaks’ Chris Fountain as his biggest threats. “Chris and Greg are better skaters than me. I will work as hard as I possibly can to minimise the gap but I don’t think I have any edge other than presenting the skating that I can do, as well as I possibly can do it.”

FIVE = Michael Underwood
Age: 32
Occupation: Presenter
Skating partner: Melanie Lambert
Celebrity supporters: Fiona Phillips, Jenni Falconer, Ben Shephard
What to expect: GMTV’s roving reporter is bound to keep us in the loop with all the gossip from the Dancing On Ice locker room.

Having recently worn himself out reporting for GMTV on I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! Down Under, Michael admits that the other skaters are now looking stronger and he’s worried. “I was in Australia for a month and during those four weeks these guys have literally caught up and moved on. I’m playing catch up at the moment and I’m getting really worried. People like Suzanne Shaw, Gareth Gates and Chris Fountain are phenomenal.” But who’s his biggest threat? “It’s far too early to talk about rivals, but I’d go for Greg Rusedski because he keeps winding me up. He keeps goading me and implying that I’m some sort of ex-European skating champion.” Far from being an ex-champion, Michael has conquered long-held skating fears to take part in Dancing On Ice. “I went skating a few times when I was younger but I never enjoyed it. My memories of the times I did go were horrible. It just hurt your ankles and your hands basically, it’s awful.” Paired with professional skater Melanie Lambert, who partnered last year’s champion Kyran Bracken, Michael is playing it cool when asked whether he’s worried about becoming as good as him. “I think the pressure’s on her more. She’s got to try and make me as good as Kyran: that’s her pressure, not mine."
Reply 2
Gareth Gates
Age: 23
Occupation: Singer
Skating Partner: Maria Filippov
Celebrity Supporters: Emma Bunton, Will Young
What to expect: Legions of female fans to swoon when Gareth hits the ice.

"I’ve always been a hard worker and I always like to put 100% in. I’m a very competitive person and I thrive under pressure, so we’ll see what happens.” He first hit our screens in Pop Idol in 2002 at the tender age of 17 but with no real previous experience on the ice, Gareth has found the skating tough. “I’m really enjoying it which is the main thing, but it’s a lot harder than I thought especially as I’ve never really skated before. I’ve actually impressed myself with how far I’ve come. "From not being able to do anything now I can sort of hold my own and actually dance with someone else." And having watched some of the other competitors, Gareth reckons Hollyoaks hottie Chris Fountain is the favourite, although he’s determined to focus on his own performance, too. “Once the show starts, that’s when you start to think this is a real competition. My game plan so far is just to focus on me and what I can do and getting the best out of me and the best out of the routines. "We’re all on the same level, although Chris is amazing, but I don’t want to start comparing myself.” But Gareth’s biggest thrill has been working with Torvill and Dean, and he is still blown away by the ice legends’ talent. “When they demonstrated my first routine to music it was amazing. It really got me, and I got quite emotional. I almost started to fill up and was like ‘pull yourself together… idiot…’” Will Gareth get a chance to dance the Bolero himself? Stay tuned to find out.

THE GIRLS

ONE = Sarah Greene
Age: 47
Profession: TV presenter and actress
Skating partner: Fred Palascak
Celebrity supporters: Lesley Joseph, John Scott, Myleene Klass, Mike Smith

What to expect: An appearance from her Going Live sidekick, Gordon the Gopher? “I am so looking forward to the costumes. As a little girl I always wanted to wear these sorts of sparkly dresses and I’ve had to wait rather a long time to wear them. That’s just one side of it. Most of all I’m looking forward to making my family proud. “My skating is comical but there has to be a bit of comedy in everything, a bit of lightness. I am becoming braver. My problem has been fear and I’m learning to be not as scared.” Sarah also has a very special bond with Torvill and Dean, having been charged with presenting them with their gold Blue Peter badges after their win at the 1984 Olympics. “It was right at the very beginning of my television career and I was lucky enough to be the person that had to go to Heathrow airport and meet them. I gave them each their gold Blue Peter badge. When I saw Jane and Chris for the first time after all those years they were sweet enough to pretend that they remembered it.” While she’s trying to remain positive, Sarah does have a few concerns - and top of her list is acid tongued Jason Gardiner. “I’m dreading the witty and very insightful comments of Jason Gardiner. "This is the thing about him - we may not like the way he says things but usually the things he says are true so I'm really dreading that."

TWO = Aggie MacKenzie
Age: 52
Occupation: TV presenter
Skating partner: Sergey Malyshev ~NEW~
Celebrity supporters: Kim Woodburn and Anneka Rice
What to expect: Look out for Aggie spinning round the rink in a pair of Marigolds. But expect a few dirty tricks from the undisputed queen of clean.

Aggie confesses that the more time she spends on ice, the less confident she gets. However, her new hobby does have one benefit: enabling her to scoff as much chocolate as she likes. “The advantage is that if I want a Kit-Kat or a Mars Bar or a Twirl or a Twix, I just shovel it down. It’s fantastic, no problem with that now. I am so hungry, my appetite’s so sharp and it’s great.” As well as the insatiable appetite, Aggie is also thrilled that her body is already beginning to tone up with the extra exercise. “I can feel the benefits already. My arms my bingo wings were really horrendous, they were absolutely the pits and they’ve been all sort of sucked in, it’s amazing. And I can feel my waist is much trimmer so there are benefits definitely.” On the down side, all that rink practice meant Aggie had to cut down on sleep, social life and drinking. “I will not be drunk on the ice,” she jokes. “If you have a drink you just can’t work 14 hour days. I’ve had to give up sleep as well. I’ve had to go to bed every night at half past 10 so my social life is out the window.” No more late-night chats with Kim at their ultra-clean local, then…

THREE = Suzanne Shaw
Age: 26
Occupation: TV Personality
Skating partner: Matt Evers
Celebrity Supporters: Christopher Biggins and Myleene Klass
What to expect: Gorgeous costumes and graceful moves. Suzanne is hotly tipped as the best female skater.

TV personality and singer Suzanne Shaw was a huge fan of Dancing On Ice last year and reckons she’s a bit of a natural on the ice herself. “I’m loving every second of ice skating. I absolutely love it. I want to do it for the rest of my life. I now want to be an ice skater.” The star also thinks she’s got the best partner and is looking forward to perfecting some dangerous and daring moves with Matt who’s known for the infamous ‘head banger’. “We’ve not tried the head banger yet but we are working on something called ‘the death spiral.’ When Matt first said, ‘we’re going to try the death spiral’ today,’ I was like ‘what?’ But I’m making that my signature move at the moment.” And Suzanne is also excited about her young son Corey watching her on the ice. “I can’t wait for my son to come down and see me do it because he’s started ice skating lessons. He’s in love with ice skating.” As for who her rivals might be, Suzanne is playing it very cool: ' know it sounds like a real cliché, but of course I’d love to win the show, everybody would. But everyone is going to bring something different to the skating rink and it’s hard to tell who will be my main rival." Let’s wait and see how the competition hots up...

FOUR = Linda Lusardi
Age: 49
Profession: Emmerdale star and former Page 3 favourite
Skating partner: Dan Whiston
Celebrity supporters: The cast of Emmerdale, as well as former Dancing On Ice contestant Emily Symons.
What to expect: A touch of glamour

Emmerdale actress Linda Lusardi is ecstatic to be in Dancing On Ice after a fall nearly had her out of the competition before it had even begun. “I was in training, stepping backwards on the ice when I landed on my ankle, fracturing a bone,” she explains. “Luckily it was very minor and it’s healed very well. It was a couple of months ago now and everything is stable which is great. I’ve still got the L-plates on for sure but I feel much more confident". A big fan of the show, Linda has also been getting some tips from Emmerdale colleague and former Dancing on Ice contestant Emily Symons, and confesses that she is delighted to have bagged Dan as her own skating partner. “I really hoped I’d get Dan because I’ve been to watch the show as a spectator over the last couple of years. I knew it wasn’t up to me to make that choice, so when he walked on to the ice I was absolutely thrilled and he’s become a really good friend. "He’s been staying over at my house and Sam, my husband, and I had nights out with him so now I feel like I’ve known him all my life.” And her husband and two children are behind her all the way, who, together with the Emmerdale cast, will be forming a Linda fan club from the sidelines each week. “My kids, Lucy aged 11 and eight-year-old Jack just can’t wait to come. They’re already making banners for the show. "I expect David Seaman will come along and see me as well because I supported him when he was in it and he keeps phoning to see how I'm getting on." Good luck Linda.
Reply 3
Samantha Mumba
Age: 24
Occupation: Singer, actress
Skating Partner: Pavel Aubrecht ~NEW~
Celebrity supporters: Westlife, Bryan McFadden and Michael Jackson
What to expect: Get ready for sexy Samantha to throw some serious shapes on the rink. The singer and actress confesses her body has never been in such good shape.

“I’m discovering muscles that I never knew I had and this is the fittest I’ve ever been. I’m actually very proud of myself with my skating and I’ve definitely got very fit.” That said, Ms Mumba admits to being very lazy, and it takes a strong character to motivate her. Which is lucky, because skating partner Pavel has been cracking the whip. “I was so relieved when I saw Pavel. He’s big and tall and strong and I was saying to myself, ‘Thank you God!’ I’m lazy and he’s definitely tough on me, but that’s a good thing because he just wants to get the most out of me. We’ve been doing lift upon lift and skating every day and I’m happy with how I’m getting on.” All the hard work has taken its toll on Samantha, however, who suffered a knee injury and really knocked her confidence on the ice. “I’m so clumsy at the best of times that I was focusing on not falling and now typically I’ve hurt my knee. I was devastated to do it and I tore a couple of ligaments but I’m being optimistic and I’m determined to not let it affect me. I will hang in there.” When it comes to last year’s contestants in Dancing on Ice, Samantha has a definite favourite. “Kyran is such a nice guy and it’s amazing that he’s now skating for a living.”


Natalie Pinkham
Age: 29
Occupation: TV & radio presenter
Skating partner: Andre Lipanov
Celebrity supporters: Will Greenwood, Di Stewart and Annabel Croft
What to expect: Commitment. You won’t see Natalie crying off training as the self-confessed sports fanatic has been throwing herself into her latest challenge. But there is one problem: she’s been losing weight in all the wrong places.

“Even if I go out in the first round I want to keep it up because it’s a great way of keeping fit. But my boobs have shrunk, though. They were the first thing to go! ”Natalie is always travelling with her hectic work schedule, so she’s enjoyed the stability that training for Dancing On Ice has given her. “It’s been really good to have that sort of focus because for the last few years I’ve been chasing my tail a bit, living out of suitcases. I’ve really loved getting up every day, training for three hours, coming home, stretching off and doing a bit of dance. I’m not used to routine at all. I didn’t realise how much I’d enjoy it.”
Despite her positive mental attitude, Natalie confesses she’s had a particularly low point during training. “I’d been working really hard with the day job and trying to skate as well, and there was one day when I was really tired and not sleeping particularly well. I remember going home and my flat was freezing cold, there was no food in the fridge and I was thinking, ‘Oh my God, can I do this?’ “I just let everything get to me and literally had a meltdown. I rang my mum, had a cry and she told me to come home. I went back and Mum just revealed this table of muffins and flapjacks, she must have baked all night for me. Bless her! So I ate my own body weight in muffins and I felt better again.”
Reply 6
Samantha might have to pull out, after a mysterious illness has left her on a drip!
Reply 8
Anyone Going to be Watching Tonight then??
Irish-Jojo
Anyone Going to be Watching Tonight then??


Yup :smile: .
Reply 10
Can't wait to see Greg Rusedski and Steve Backley giving ice dancing a try!
Reply 11
yay! i love dancing on ice.. but have't been watching much tv because of exams. i have to try and squeeze it in around my revision :frown: is tonight the first of the series? oh and how come they changed it to sundays, didn't it used to come on on saturdays?
Reply 12
^^ Tonight is the first night yep, was on sats but why they changed to Sunday I dont no! :frown:

Oh well, first two have been on,

Greg - Good skater --- pity thats wat they show cased the whole way through, very plain routine.

Suzanne - Very Good, but Im not warming to her!! Very good dancing lines and stuff, Jason will be happy.


Side Note -- Ruthie is going to be hard to impress!
Reply 13
3rd - Aggie --- I liked it, okay lowest score so far, but her personality is good and it wasn't the worst performance.

4th - Tim --- Not my favorite routine, he really just stayed in one spot and dressed it up, with his crap Tom Jones like moves!!

5th - Nataile - Oh I like her, not a brilliant preformance, but a good start, and I do like Andrei!! LOL
Reply 14
6th - Steve --- Oh I like him, he did look really good, despite his height, dare I say possible this years Kyran (ie height, and will get better every week).

7th - Sarah --- Okay, nothing impressive tho, and What was with THAT poem?? Oh flirting perhaps!! LOL

8th - Chris --- Okay best on the ice in regards what he can do with his feet, but all I remember is ONE proper lift and alot of trying to steal Kryan's body popping. Maybe too sure of himself as well. Not liking the personality and there's not a great partnership yet either.
Reply 15
9th - Samantha --- The song made her look good, but I do think she had a nicer flow than Suzanne, but again thats down to the song, but little slow.

10th - Michael --- Very fun routine, I like his fun presentation! They get on well together too, himself and Mel, and as Nickey said he has the Kyran factor too.
Reply 16
11th - Linda --- Good routine, fantastic partnership!! Good skating when she did it, tho!

12th - Gareth --- Very slick poished preformance, being a perfectionist isnt a bad thing tonight!! I might even like Maria this year. Very good skating!
Reply 17
Another side note - ANyone else think it is interesting that Karen has changed her seating position this year, ie AWAY from JASON!!
I think Chris and Natalie were the best two tonight. I didn't like Steve or Greg and think one of them should go (but I doubt they will).
Reply 19
From tonight my personal faves are Natalie and Steve, best skaters wud be Suzanne for the girls and between Gareth and Chris for the boys.
Even tho I liked Aggie and Sarah.....I can see it being one of them.