DESPITE the countless injuries and risky moves, some people still dismiss Dancing On Ice as just a frothy entertainment show.
But Olympic gymnast Nile Wilson begs to differ.
I’m so fearless my Dancing on Ice partner has to stop me breaking us with dangerous stunts, admits Nile WilsonThe Team GB star says Dancing On Ice is like competing in the Olympics
The Team GB star, who won bronze on the horizontal bar at in Rio 2016, knows a challenge when he sees one.
Ahead of this Sunday’s semi-final, Nile told me: “Dancing On Ice and the Olympics are on a par. You still feel the same level of pride.
“The enormity of our experience, having to learn how to skate in such a short period of time then going on live TV in front of five million people.
“It feels the same to me as competing in the Olympics.”
Nile went into the ITV competition with the smallest fan base of all the celebrities.
But he’s remained the bookies’ favourite to win after topping the leaderboard from his very first skate.
Now days before he takes to the rink to claim a place in the final, Nile admits he is so keen to push himself, his pro partner Olivia Smart has to keep him “on a leash”.
He said: “The more confident I get on the ice, the more dangerous I want to take the stunts. Olivia is like, ‘Remember we want to get to the final and and we can’t do it if we’re broken!”
Nile was forced to quit gymnastics in 2021 due to injuries and turned to alcohol to numb the pain and gambling to replace the thrill of competing.
Now he’s turned his life around, with Dancing On Ice marking his return to the spotlight.
Next he will next join Jordan North’s new BBC Three challenge show Go Hard or Go Home as a coach to young competitors.
Nile sounds like a deserving champ to me.
- Watch the Dancing On Ice semi-final on Sunday at 6.30pm on ITV1.
More TV gold on BBC
THE BBC has struck Gold with its gripping new crime drama – and it is now making a documentary about it.
I can reveal Gold: The Inside Story will feature interviews from detectives who investigated Britain’s biggest bullion heist, which inspired the Sunday night series starring Dominic Cooper.
Gold: The Inside Story will feature interviews from detectives who investigated Britain’s biggest bullion heist
Armed robbers stole more than three tonnes of gold worth £26million, nearly £100million in today’s market, from the Brink’s-Mat security depot near London’s Heathrow airport in November 1983.
Speaking on camera for the first time about the robbery, investigation leader, Chief Superintendent Brian Boyce – played by Hugh Bonneville in the drama – says: “We had to work extremely hard, follow the trail and recover as much of the gold as possible.”
The hour-long documentary will air on BBC One and iPlayer later this month.
Peyton is dead busy
COBRA KAI star Peyton List is getting her kicks from a new teen drama.
In School Spirits, the US actress – who plays Tory Nichols in Netflix’s Karate Kid spin-off – takes on the role of a deceased student, who’s on a mission to find out how she died.
Peyton List has taken on the role of a deceased student in School Spirits
She’s joined in her quest by fellow “ghost students” who, like her, spent their afterlife stuck at Split River High School, the scene of her passing.
The former Disney star, who is also a model, dazzled in a sparkling dress with floral embellishment at the premiere of the Paramount+ series in LA this week.
The first two episodes of the eight-parter will be available to watch next Friday, with subsequent hour-long episodes available to stream weekly.
