See the Dancing on Ice stars at Liverpool

Apr 3 2008 By Martin Williams

AFTER stunning audiences with two perfect scores in the ITV1 series final, newly crowned Dancing on Ice champion Suzanne Shaw will perform alongside skating legends Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean when the tour skates into the Echo Arena in Liverpool over three days from May 2.

Runners-up Chris Fountain and Zaraah Abrahams are also in the line-up and will be joined by fellow contestants Gareth Gates and Linda Lusardi, along with last year’s winner Kyran Bracken, actress Clare Buckfield, football legend David Seaman and actress/ dancer Bonnie Langford.

All of the celebrities will be trained and choreographed by mentors Torvill and Dean (who will perform several of their favourite routines at each show), and Gareth in particular can’t wait for the shows to start.

"To be honest, when I was first approached to take part in the TV show, I wasn’t too keen on the idea. I wasn’t sure I was up to the challenge," he told the Weekly News.

"But my life has always been about taking on new challenges and learning new skills. I’m so pleased I said yes.

"I feel like I’ve been on the most fantastic journey. Imagine being on the ice each day and having Torvill and Dean as your instructors. They’re skating royalty!"

What’s more, you can forget all those tabloid tales of seething tensions behind the scenes, says Gareth.

"They’re complete rubbish. One of the very best elements about being caught up in this show – and now the tour – is that we’re all in it together.

"And that’s a very binding experience. This will sound corny but it’s true – we’re like a family. The atmosphere’s great. Of course there are nerves, but no tension between us whatsoever."

And Christopher, who together with Jayne Torvill provided audiences with many mesmeric ice dancing performances, including a gold medal at the 1984 Winter Olympics, can’t wait for the tour to begin.

"Jayne and I started talking and we decided to go to promoter Phil McIntyre with the idea of taking the basic concept of the show out on the road to some of the UK’s largest ice-skating arenas," he said.

"But while we knew the TV show was popular, we couldn’t be sure we’d fill auditoria that held up to 10,000 people."

They needn’t have worried. The first Dancing On Ice tour took place last year almost immediately after the TV series ended with rugby player Kyran Bracken crowned the ultimate winner.

So how does Chris feel the stars of screen and stage will take to appearing on ice across the UK?

"Last year Duncan James, for instance, took it all in his stride, but then he’d been part of the Blue boy band so he’d played these vast arenas," said Christopher.

"Gareth will be the same. It’s more difficult to adjust for an actress who’s used to working only in front of TV cameras, but it doesn’t take long for everyone to respond to the adrenaline rush you feel from those huge audiences."

For more information and tickets visit www.dancingonicetour.co.uk or call the Echo Arena Box Office on 0844 8000 400.