AXb\Ëj `e X k`^_kj jgfk
DANCING on Ice star Jake Quickenden has been wearing women’s clothes to get used to the skin-tight costumes!
The X Factor and I’m A Celebrity hunk is taking part in the show, which starts again on Sunday after a four-year break.
And while the celeb skaters are normally worried about showing off their bodies in the infamous Lycra outfits, as you can see from our exclusive pictures from his 2018 calendar, Jake has nothing to worry about.
But he has been resorting to a rather unusual method to prepare...
Jake laughs: “I’ve been walking around in my fiancée Danielle’s tights for the last week – so I’m buzzing to do it.
“The more out there the better! Anything they give me, I’ll whack it on.”
Jake is also looking forward to improving his skating ability, admitting his only experience of the ice is trying to pull girls.
He says: “The biggest appeal of Dancing on Ice is free ice skating – in Doncaster, it’s about £7.50 a go normally!
“I’ve not done any proper skating before. When I was 13 or 14, I used to go to discos on a Thursday night where you would just go to skate after girls, but that was it!”
The heart-throb is paired with German pro-skater Vanessa Bauer, 21, but admits he is terrified of injuring her during a risky routine. “My biggest fear is kicking my partner in the head with the blade on my skate,” he says. “It’s bad enough kicking someone in the head without one.
“I’m quite big and I think I need to become more elegant. I’m quite clumsy. I’ve got good coordination but I am clumsy and my legs are long.”
But the singer isn’t worried about getting one of the infamous Dancing on Ice injuries himself, even though previous stars have sliced themselves open with blades, broken bones and ribs and even cracked their heads open.
Afraid
“Growing up playing football, I’ve had so many injuries that I’m just used to it,” he says. “Having no fear might help because I want to be someone that tries ambitious things like back flips.
“You have to get out of your comfort zone and not be afraid.
“Maybe doing the Jungle helped with that but I’ve always been out there and like throwing myself into things.”
The stars will again face the acid tongue of judge Jason Gardiner, who once compared swimmer Sharron Davies to “faecal matter”.
But after surviving the X Factor panel’s comments in 2012 – where he made it to the Judges’ Houses stage before Nicole Scherzinger decided not to take him through – Jake’s not too concerned. “Because I’m not an ice skater, any criticism I get I will take on board and use it to become better the next week,” he says. “I probably won’t argue back! It was easier to argue back when I was judged on my singing, because I can sing.
“That was my thing and I had done it for years but this is a totally new skill, so whatever they tell me I’m going to take it on board and come back better the next week.”
Jake is also expecting a famous face to be in the audience – Carl “Foggy” Fogarty – who was the winner of the Jake’s I’m A Celeb series. The pair became firm friends in the Jungle and Jake started dating his daughter Danielle afterwards, popping the question to her last year.
“My family will be there every week, as will Danielle’s family,” he says. “Carl will probably have a laugh at what I’m wearing.”
Jake admits he will be competitive and wants to win.
But if that doesn’t happen, he reckons he’ll be happy if he can learn some fancy tricks.
“It’s always been me and my mum’s favourite show,” he says. “The fact that I can do it and my mum’s always wanted me to be on it is enough to me. If I win though, even better!
“But it’s whatever I can get out of it, and if I can do some spins along the way, then I’ll be buzzing.” ¬
Jake Quickenden’s official 2018 calendar is available exclusively through Amazon UK. Dancing on Ice starts on Sunday at 6pm on ITV.
¬