We’ve broken boundaries
Dancing On Ice’s creative force Daniel Whiston on his love for the show and why this series has such high standards
Daniel whiston was one of the first professional skaters on dancing On Ice and has been crowned champion three times.
He has triumphed with actress Gaynor Faye, former soap star Hayley Tamaddon and Olympic gymnast Beth Tweddle. Then, in 2019, he took on the daunting role of associate creative director.
“Every day I feel pressure to raise the stakes,” confessed Daniel, 47. “But that for me is an adrenaline rush. I have to push the show and I have to lift everyone and make sure they are shown in their best light possible. I think we’ve broken all boundaries this year – it’s been the highest standard we’ve ever seen.”
As part of his job, Daniel devises daring routines and choreography for all the skaters. “It sounds silly but I do a lot of my choreography in the car,” confessed Daniel. “So I’ll be down the M6 doing shoulder rolls – if you ever see me doing that, don’t be alarmed.”
Having been a pro skater on DOI for 18 years, he knows how much time goes into rehearsals and how it will impact him and his family as he swaps his hometown of Blackpool for London. “It takes over my life,” he said. “My partner, my little dog Douglas, my friends, my family, we all know we’re going to lose months to this show. But I’ve got such a big support network. I’m lucky.”
With this year’s final fast approaching, Daniel believes it’s anyone’s game. “It’s always exciting when we get celebrities who push boundaries and they all do. Adele [Roberts] has been so inspiring, I’ve never worked with anyone on the show with a stoma before. Amber [Davies] has done really well, Eddie the Eagle has been brilliant and slightly under the radar.
“Greg [Rutherford] has done lifts that have never been done, Miles [Nazaire] has been the heart-throb and Ryan [Thomas] has got the public behind him. They’re all so hungry to win.”
I make sure they are shown in their best light possible