Ricky Hatton announced as first Dancing on Ice contestant
Dancing on Ice’s first contestant has been revealed as professional boxer Ricky Hatton.
The 44-year-old was announced during Tuesday’s instalment of This Morning by hosts Holly Willoughby and Ben Shephard.
Giving clues throughout the episode before the grand reveal, ITV viewers were told the celebrity was a world champion as their silhouette was shown.
It looked as though Holly, who hosts Dancing on Ice, was just as in the dark as fans as she told Ben: “I don’t know who any of them are! Normally I get a bit of a sneak preview.”
However, it transpired the mysterious star was Ricky as he spoke to the two hosts about why he decided to join the line-up this year.
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When asked why he’s doing Dancing on Ice after joking he wasn’t confident, he said: “To set new challenges for yourself, to be honest.
“It was well documented that I struggled with retirement when I retired from boxing among a few other things and I’m doing my little bit now for mental health.
“[I’m] Trying to give a little bit back now and what I bang the drum about is trying to keep yourself busy, fill the hours in your day.
“When I was retired I was set there with nothing to do and my world fell apart a little bit.”
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Presenter Ben highlighted that although he’s taken on some serious opponents in the past, the ice rink on Dancing on Ice is a real challenge.
He asked the former sports star: “Are you much the skater Rick?”
Hesitating for a while, the boxer admitted he wasn’t, and he replied: “No, not at all!”
Laughing at his confession, the 44-year-old told the duo he’s used to being on the floor due to his former career.
Giving him some words of confidence, Holly told Ricky sports stars tend to do well on the ITV series as they’re used to commitment and discipline.
He added: “On the ice, I’m sure there’ll be a few speed bumps and a few scary moments.
“But, I like to think if you can hold your nerve in the boxing ring, I should be ok to hold my nerve on the ice rink.”
Holly revealed to viewers Dancing on Ice won’t return until January 2024, however, training for the celebrities will be getting underway soon.
This Morning airs on weekdays at 10am on ITV and ITVX.
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