Michelle Heaton, star of ITV’s Dancing On Ice, has spoken out about the horrific injuries she suffered while practising for the show.
The former Liberty X singer, 43, is one of 11 celebrities, including Love Island winner Ekin-Su Cülcülolu and TOWIE star Joey Essex, who will compete on the ice to be declared champion.
The tough battle, hosted by Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby and judged by Ashley Banjo, Jayne Torvill, Christopher Dean, and Oti Mabuse, begins on Sunday.
Michelle appeared on Thursday’s Loose Women to discuss her rigorous workout schedule, just days before the juggernaut show’s 2023 premiere.
Nadia Sawalha, who was on the daytime show’s panel with Carol McGiffin, Judi Love and Charlene White, dived straight in and remarked: ‘You’re falling over all the time, aren’t you?’
Carol, meanwhile, joked the ex-popstar might benefit from a ‘cushion in her pants’ during the rigorous routines.
Michelle admitted she looked into special bottoms with foam on the advice of her ice skating partner, ukasz Róycki, who was in the crowd, but she just ‘couldn’t do it’ since it was’so embarrassing.’
‘I’ve been wearing knee pads, helmets, so I have been guarded up,’ she added. ‘I’ve been taking their advice.’
Michelle said she had ‘never skated before’ other than at rinks at Christmas with her children, admitting she didn’t think it would be ‘so hard.’
‘You’ve got an injury right now, right?’ Carol asked, to which Michelle replied: ‘I’ve got a bit of whiplash on my neck.’
She continued: ‘I had four falls on Monday. Do you know what it is? It’s forgetting you’re on ice.
‘Like I’m calling it menopausal brain fog because I just stand there and the falls usually come when I’m standing still and I forget that I’m not in shoes and my feet just go and I’m on my back.’
Michelle, who has been candid about her struggles with alcoholism and has recently achieved 21 months sober, has stated that she is participating in Dancing On Ice for her daughters, Faith, 11, and AJ, eight.
When asked what she was most looking forward to ahead of the concert this weekend, she answered, ‘For my kids to be proud of me!’
‘I want to try my very best and put my all into this. Getting to experience something that brings a lot of happiness to us as a family – they’ve been my support system through recovery.’
Loose Women airs weekdays from 12.30pm on ITV.