LEMAR ON HIS
emar has already been voted into Dancing on Ice’s skate-off twice, and he looks certain to be in for another tough time tomorrow if his stumble on last weekend’s results show is anything to go by.
If a black contestant on BBC rival Strictly landed in the same position, there would be murmurings of racism.
But the 39-year-old singer and songwriter is absolutely confident the colour of his skin is not to blame for him being in the bottom two with his pro partner on the ice, Melody Le Moal.
He faced the same questions back in 2002 when he took part in his first reality show, Fame Academy. Despite his meltingly smooth voice, he only came in third – although the show launched his pop career and catapulted him to fame.
Totally laid-back, as ever, he says: “No, I gave the same answer then, too. I have been in the bottom two, but Perri (Shakes-Drayton) is doing exceptionally well and Alex (Beresford). You’ve just got to crack on and skate better.”
But he does admit he is no stranger to racism. Growing up in Tottenham, North London, he knew it too well.
He says: “Sure, yeah, definitely, 100%. Growing up, it’s part of what you have to deal with sometimes.”
And then, without changing his chilled-out tone, he casually mentions that he has been attacked, too.
He says: “It was a racially motivated attack, nothing to do with fame, when I was much younger.
“I was in a club, one guy came over and started shouting racial slurs at me and hit me over the head with a bottle.
“We got into a fight and that got broken up and, yes, that was it.
“I was hurt enough - but I didn’t end up the worst off.”
Then he is straight back to superchilled again, saying: “It is not a nice thing to happen to anyone, but unfortunately that is the reality of the world sometimes.”
That’s Lemar for you. He is not one to let anyone, or anything, hold him back – and certainly not a little slip on Dancing on Ice, or the controversy which seems to have mounted after it.
When he stumbled last week in the skate-off against Hollyoaks actress Stephanie Waring, 39, it was widely assumed that he would be going home.
But, instead, head judge Jayne Torvill, 60, backed Christopher Dean, 59, and ruled that Lemar should stay in the show, and Steph should go – even though the other judges, Jason Gardiner, 46, and Ashley Banjo, 29, disagreed.
Steph this week admitted she was surprised at the decision, given that she did not slip, while Ashley said Lemar had been “given enough chances”. But Lemar has decided to keep plugging away.
He says: “I’m not fazed at all, I’m enjoying myself and I’m loving skating and the show.
“Learning from professionals is brilliant. And I doubt the judges carry their feelings into the following week.
“I’m in contact with Steph, she’s all right, she’s fine. She’s obviously gutted, she would like to still be in the show.”
He is working hard to prove the judges were right to keep him in.
He says: “I have been surprised how intense the training is – you have to really put in the hours, I’m putting in two to six hours every single day. You are emotionally invested. I can see why Steph is gutted. But we had a hug and she said, ‘Good luck’.”
Lemar, whose surname is Obika and whose parents originate from Nigeria, sympathises as he knows what it is to overcome hurdles.
Before going on Fame Academy, he had already lost a record deal and was working at NatWest and in supermarkets. He even had a university place to study pharmacy, thinking it might be his safest bet for a career.
But his will to achieve his dreams drove him to give Fame Academy a try. It was won by the barely memorable David Sneddon, but led to Lemar being signed to Sony.
He released his first single Dance (with U), and went on to have seven Top10 singles and to sell more than two million albums. He has also won two BRIT awards and three MOBOs.
But as he was finding success, his mother Edna was battling breast cancer, and passed away just as Lemar released his first hit. Edna