Olympic champion Sir Steve Redgrave set to compete in ITV's Dancing On Ice
Olympic legend Sir Steve Redgrave is set to take to the ice as he joins the 2025 lineup of Dancing On Ice, alongside reality TV personalities Mollie Pearce and Ferne McCann, and Coronation Street star Sam Aston. The 62 year old rowing champion, who was confirmed for the ITV show on Monday, revealed on This Morning that he's been instructed not to practice his skating skills until the first official training session.
Sir Steve admitted, "There are all these people trying to persuade me now to do it, I can't dance, I can't skate, why am I doing this show? I've got no idea at all."
Despite being a five-time Olympic champion, he dismissed the idea that his athletic experience would give him an edge, saying, "It ends up being people who are not very co-ordinated because it's a repetitive sport doing the same movements over and over again."
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Sir Steve, who retired from professional sports 24 years ago, joked that his friends think he's going through a "midlife crisis" by joining the show, but he quipped, "I'm too old for a midlife crisis, I'm far past that end."
He also revealed that he requires custom-made shoes for skating due to his wide size 12 feet and weighed in on his concerns about being one of the oldest and heaviest contestants on the show, tipping the scales at 120 kilos (20 stone). On the same show, Aston, famed for his role as Chesney Brown on ITV's soap, was announced as the fourth contestant and shared his feelings: "I'm nervous but excited to get going."
Pearce, who has been confirmed as the second celebrity to join the 2025 series of the ITV ice skating competition, received a supportive message from radio DJ Adele Roberts, a fellow stoma bag user and last year's Dancing On Ice participant. The model gained recognition for reaching the final of The Traitors' psychological game before being ousted by her ally Harry Clark, who clinched victory in the show's second season.
Speaking to ITV's Lorraine, Pearce expressed her enthusiasm: "It will be fun, I want to challenge myself, I'm ready for the challenge." She admitted she "hasn't started" training yet but recalled past experiences of ice skating with her mother during her childhood.
Roberts congratulated her in a video message, calling it the "most incredible news" and appreciating Pearce's efforts to raise awareness about stoma bags. The most recent edition of The Traitors took home the reality competition award at the National Television Awards (NTAs).
In a memorable moment from The Traitors, Pearce decided to eliminate a loyal player instead of British Army engineer Clark, who was secretly a traitor. Upon the revelation, she famously exited the room, feeling betrayed and hurt.
Pearce has since made amends with Clark and has been seen with him at various red carpet events.
Ferne McCann, once a familiar face on The Only Way Is Essex, has made the "really difficult decision" to step away from her ITVBe reality show My Family And Me. She expressed her enthusiasm for the new venture, saying she was "so excited" to embrace the "huge challenge" as she was announced as the first contestant for Dancing On Ice.
Another 10 celebrities are set to be unveiled in due course.
Last year saw Holly Willoughby return to host Dancing On Ice, this time alongside new co-host Stephen Mulhern, her former partner on the ITV Saturday morning children's show Ministry Of Mayhem. Mulhern stepped in to replace Phillip Schofield.