© Photo: ITVCheryl Baker and Dan Whiston
Bucks Fizz singer Cheryl Baker, who has been paired with Dan Whiston, candidly admitted that she is joining the show to lose weight. "I'm hoping to shape up," she said. "I saw Linda Lusardi after she did Dancing on Ice and she looked fantastic, all of her muscles were in the right place and she didn't have an ounce of fat on her. She said it was because of Dancing on Ice. That workout, you're not just dancing, you're really using all of your muscles so I'm looking forward to toning my body up."
© Photo: ITVBrooke Vincent and Matej Silecky
Corrie favourite Brooke Vincent, who has been paired with Matej Silecky, was the first confirmed celebrity to join. She's been totally transformed, saying: "I've stopped smoking for the show so I'm not out of breath when they are telling me I'm getting scores of nine and ten! I've come on a journey with my fitness, not really drank, have been eating well, training and it's been a lifestyle change for me.
"Dedicating this time to myself and to my body, it's just a mega challenge for myself so I'd like to come away from it with some self-satisfaction, saying well done and patting myself on the back."
© Photo: ITVCandice Brown and Matt Evers
Great British Bake Off winner Candice Brown, who will be skating with Matt Evers, can't wait to take on the challenge of learning a new skill. The sporty star said: "I'm a great jumper, I can jump really well! I have no fear of looking silly, I do that most days so I love to have a bop but I'm definitely more of a bop and a shuffler. It'll be interesting to see how I get on with the choreography side of things, having to learn that."
She added: "I want all the lipsticks, I want all the feathers, I want all the sequins. I love getting dressed up so this is getting dressed up and then some."
© Photo: ITVJake Quickenden and Vanessa Bauer
I'm a Celebrity runner-up Jake Quickenden joked that he had signed up for the free ice skating. "In Doncaster, it's about £7.50 a go normally!" he said. "And obviously to learn to dance. I've not done any skating before. When I was 13 or 14, I used to go to discos on a Thursday night where you would just go to skate after girls, but that was it! The last time I actually skated was about three of four years ago, just with mates. This is totally new."
© Photo: ITVDonna Air and Mark Hanretty
Donna Air – TV star and girlfriend of the Duchess of Cambridge's younger brother James Middleton – has been paired with Mark Hanretty. The mother-of-one says her biggest fear is "hurting herself," revealing: "I've been in a situation before where I've hurt myself and not been able to walk. I broke both my ankles, so it's added to my fear, but I have to put that out of my mind, because that alone could cause an accident."
Donna, 38, also admitted that she's looking forward to starring on ITV. "I feel I've got more to give as an actress. I'm looking forward to doing some fun weekend TV, because I usually shy away from it. Actually it's nice to go back to my roots, because it's what I grew up doing," she said.
© Photo: ITVStephanie Waring and Sylvain Longchambon
Hollyoaks actress Stephanie Waring admitted she'd score herself a five out of ten for ice skating. "I can skate on two feet which is an achievement given I can't walk in heels most of the time!" she said. "I don't know how I'll be once the tricks and moves are thrown in. I'd like to get to a ten. I will learn, work hard, and aim to stay on two feet the whole time. And hopefully not hurt myself!"
She added: "I will absolutely embrace the sequins! I love dressing up, and I love glamorous clothes and sequins and I can't wait to be a little doll."
© Photo: ITVAntony Cotton and Brandee Malto
Corrie star Antony Cotton admitted he is "fiercely competitive" but would never be competitive against his co-star Brooke Vincent. "She's like a little sister to me and I adore her. Everyone else I will be competitive with, but not Brooke. I'll be the opposite with Brooke," he said, adding of his routines: "I will not be like Max Evans being photographed with no top on! I'm not going to be someone that's fleshing loads of flesh but I've said officially if there's space for a sequin, stick it on."
He added: "I don't want to be doing serious love dances, so I want my routines to be fun. If I'm doing Copacabana, I want ruffles…me doing this show is what it says on the tin. There's no point me coming out all serious and smouldering. Fun, fun, fun, and I will embrace every sequin."
© Photo: ITVKem Cetinay and Alex Murphy
Love Island winner Kem Cetinay, who has been paired with Alex Murphy, admitted he's in it to win it. "I'm very competitive. I've played football semi pro all my life. For me, I'm not doing it to be at the bottom. It's not about beating other people, it's about doing it as well as I can and not finishing thinking 'I could have done better.' It's a competition so I want to win," he said.
Like most other contestants, Kem admitted his biggest fear is hurting himself or his partner. "I'm quite small so I need to have a small partner, otherwise I won't be able to lift them," he added. "Imagine lifting someone and trying to skate? Surely you fall over. And then if I fall over, what do I do? Do I get up? Do I carry on? Do I just lay on the floor on the ice?"
© Photo: ITVPerri Shakes-Drayton and Hamish Gaman
Athlete Perri Shakes-Drayton's biggest fear is forgetting the routine, while her coach was hesitant for her to join. "My coach was a bit cautious about me coming on the show because I've had a knee injury previously, but I got told that I wouldn't be able to run again but now I am and I've had no issues so far," she said.
"I want to prove to myself and anyone who ever doubted me that I have been able to come back, race, win a silver medal at the World Championships and now do this show. I've not been put off by having an injury in the past, it is spurring me on more to prove I can do it."
She admitted: "I love being in front of the camera. Eventually, my career as an athlete will come to an end so I need to think about what will be my next path and I hope people will get to see another side of me."
© Photo: ITVMax Evans and Ale Izquierdo
Retired rugby player Max Evans, who is skating with Ale Izquierdo, admitted his biggest fear is hurting his partner. "That would be the worst because recently I watched the top ten worst injuries on Dancing on Ice online. I don't care about myself, I just don't want to hurt my partner," he said.
Max, the older brother of Thom Evans, added: "I'm massively competitive. I've got a brother very close in age and we've grown up competing in everything so I'm really competitive. No one wants to be the first one out but I definitely want to get more than half way through the competition, I want to try and win it."
© Photo: ITVLemar and Melody Le Moal
Lemar, who replaced Monty Panesar following the cricketer's injury, says he can't wait to "have a laugh" on the show. Of his skating partner, he said: "Melody is a lot of fun, we had an interesting first day on the ice and she definitely put me through my paces."
He added: "Honestly, I want to have a good time, I want to have a laugh and have fun. Initially I was quite afraid of getting on the ice but I just want to keep getting better!"
© Photo: ITVAlex Beresford and Brianne Delcourt
TV presenter Alex Beresford is "super excited" to be joining the show and isn't one to shy away from lycra. "I feel quite comfortable about lycra. I go to the gym a fair bit so I do put on a bit of lycra from time to time. I don't mind a splash of colour, in fact pink is one of my favourite colours," he said. "I'm used to the brighter colours, the glitz and glamour. I'm used to getting dressed up. The performing side of it will be fun, it's a bit of theatre really isn't it?"
