My autistic 26yr-old son just said ’I love you’ for the first time ...I cried tears of joy
DANCING ON ICE AND GREASE STAR DIDI CONN
friends. Didi’s bond with Travolta, 64, grew even stronger when his son Jett, who died in 2009, aged 16, after suffering a seizure, was diagnosed with autism.
“His son Jett was six months older than Daniel and he was diagnosed with autism, but they didn’t want to call it that when he was alive.
“After he passed away they said yes, it was autism. He was so concerned and I would talk with his wife about it.
“I know they invested millions of dollars into different research because Jett did not speak. Anything I ever heard about new findings, whether it
was diet or anything, they would follow up.” Didi says she is in touch with everyone from Grease, including Barry Pearl, but not Stockard Channing, and is very close to Olivia Newton-John, 70. She was stunned when news spread that the star, who has breast cancer, is close to death. Didi says: “That was a terrible shock. Someone told me they’d just heard this awful rumour. But I’d just talked to her two days before and she sounded fine. “Then they showed me the video of her saying she was well and she looked beautiful. So I called her right afterwards and she said, ‘you know how these rumours start’. She’s very well.” For now, Didi is looking ahead to tomorrow’s show when she and her professional skating partner Lukasz Rozycki will perform to the Mary Poppins song Spoonful of Sugar.
She says: “My shoulders keep coming up when I skate, but that’s a lot to do with being 67 and you start to get a hump.
“But Mary Poppins is so elegant she would never have her shoulders up. So it’s a great challenge...”
Look closely at Didi’s costume and you might see the outline of a secret gadget she created to help her through rehearsals.
“I made an invention,” she says. “One place I don’t have a lot of padding is my ribs. A little further down’s fine. I’m learning new lifts and my ribs were very sore.
“So I got knee pads, brought them to the wardrobe department and they extended the elastic so they go around my waist and protect my ribs.
“And they really help – just don’t tell anybody.” This series of Dancing on Ice, hosted by Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield, has been rocked with controversy after Holly accused contestant Gemma Collins of being unprofesholding sional for up filming by l e a v i n g early because she was bored.
Didi is diplomatic. “If Gemma held up filming, I wasn’t there. If someone had that experience, it wasn’t me.
“Gemma was up on the balcony cheering me when I did my first skate – and that helped me so much.
“Every time I pass her, she’s doing something on her phone and she says, ‘oh, there’s my Didi’. She’s always so loving.
“She’s a beautiful, golden Mae West. She’s so sexy and funny and really knows how to hold an audience, which is a beautiful thing to see. She sparkles.”
For Grease fans, there is only one legend on the show and it’s Didi.
For 40 years, fans across the world have adored her portrayal of Pink Lady Frenchy and it’s clear Didi also has huge affection for the character.
Didi is touched by the outpouring of love for her on Twitter, but says there are some drawbacks to being so well remembered.
“My voice triggers people into recognising me, often at the weirdest times.
“If I’m in the theatre and talking while in line to go to the loo, the rest of the queue will turn around and say, ‘wait a minute, it’s you’.
“Then they try to talk to me when I’m about to go into the stall. And that’s not a good place to talk.”
Dancing on Ice, ITV, 6pm tomorrow.
My brothers might fly over and have a word with Jason Gardiner DIDI ON CRITICISM FROM DANCING ON ICE JUDGE