I’m told ‘Everyone from Emmerdale’s won so you’ll win’.. I’m taking it slow & steady for now
It’s only when I got on the ice I realised how hard it was going to be
right thing. Leyla is ridiculous, good fun and dramatic. I love playing her.” Gaynor, who played Leyla’s business partner Megan Macey, won Dancing on
Ice back in 2006 and has the scars to prove it after coming a cropper doing a headbanger.
The move involves a skater being picked up by the ankle and spun around by their partner.
But will Roxy be trying to pull off that move with her pro partner Sylvain Longchambon?
She says: “I completely trust him, he’s been doing it for years. But it’s whether or not you can face that fear factor. Gaynor still has a scar on the chin from that, so I don’t know. I’m going slow and steady at the moment but I wouldn’t rule anything out.” In October Gogglebox star Stephen Lustig-webb had to withdraw from competing after breaking his ankle in a freak accident while training.
He has been replaced by British Olympic legend Eddie “The Eagle” Edwards. “Hearing about Stephen’s fall was scary and just reaffirmed my slow and steady approach,” Roxy adds. “I did become incredibly scared after I signed the contract to do the show.
“It was only when I got on the ice I realised how little I knew and how hard it was going to be.”
“It does feel like a new lease of life The excitement is bubbling up!”
Roxy recently filmed for Emmerdale with Dancing on Ice star choreographers and judges Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean, who made a cameo in a festive episode in which Belle Dingle proposed to Tom King.
The former Olympic champions have been impressed by Roxy’s flexibility on the ice, which stems from her being a qualified yoga teacher. But will this give her the edge?
“Everyone says that,” laughs Roxy. “Everyone says, ‘You’re going to be great because you do yoga’. But I’m on skates. Anything anyone can do, try and do it on ice. It doesn’t work.”
Away from the Dales, Roxy who lives in Nottingham, is mum to a sixyear-old daughter with husband of 13 years, actor Arsher Ali, 39, who she met when they starred in a play together.
Roxy has not publicly revealed the name of her daughter and keeps her out of the spotlight – but Line of Duty fans will recognise Arsher.
He played DC Hari Bains in series two and also starred in the Chris Morris black comedy Four Lions.
Along with her Emmerdale co-stars, the ITV soap’s bossed have been very supportive of Roxy going on the ice dance show, allowing her a lighter load while the competition is going on.
She says: “I can’t be a mum and learn to ice skate and become an athlete and work full time.
“The producers said to me, ‘We haven’t got a massive storyline coming up so we’ll just fit you in’. So they’ve allowed me to take a step back in order to focus on Dancing On Ice.”
■ Dancing On Ice returns to ITV and ITVX tomorrow for a nine-week run.