ILLNESS THAT
HANNAH Spearritt says she felt so ill while training for Dancing On Ice that she feared she might have to pull out of the show.
The former S Club 7 star, who has suffered from an auto-immune condition since 2013, missed at least two sessions a week after a tooth infection triggered a severe relapse.
And she felt so nauseous during some rehearsals, she ended up sobbing.
Hannah, 42, signed up for the ITV show after pulling out of an S Club 7 reunion following the death of her ex-boyfriend Paul Cattermole in April
But after battling through the trauma, she is back to her best – and says she can’t wait to skate tonight.
Hannah, who is paired with Andy Buchanan, said: “I was so excited about joining Dancing On Ice. It was the perfect opportunity after the S Club 7 reunion didn’t work out, and I wanted to get back to something physical.
“As a mum, I don’t get much chance to exercise and I felt it was what my body needed after everything I went through last year.
“But three weeks into training, I lost half a tooth and – though I didn’t know it at the time – it caused an infection.
“Suddenly I was crying, ill, getting headaches, and I got illness after illness. Norovirus, flu…
“All I wanted to do was train, but I was just too ill. I was completely stressed because the show team were ringing me, asking if I would be able to train tomorrow and I wanted to say yes, but didn’t know how I’d feel.
“It was out of my control, and I felt so guilty about letting everyone down – especially my skating partner Andy, who is lovely.
“I was worried I would have to pull out of the show, I was missing so much.
“Even my partner thought I wouldn’t return after Christmas because I was so ill. I was determined to go back, but I was skating around white as a sheet and sweating. Anyone could see I wasn’t right.
“One day, I felt so sick it was overwhelming. I had to come off the ice and just burst into tears.”
Thankfully, Hannah’s health improved dramatically when she started root canal treatment with a holistic dentist earlier this month.
“First, I was a little bit better and then a lot better, and since then I’ve been getting stronger and stronger,” she said. “I’ve been able to get that consistency that I wasn’t able to get in my skating at the beginning.
“The support from my dentist and doctor has been amazing.
“It’s a completely different experience now and I’ve had moments of real joy because I do love being on the ice.
I felt so guilty about letting everyone down, especially my pro skating partner Andy
I feel like I’m on a steady trajectory, like I’m gradually getting better, and I’m learning more and more.
“Hopefully, people keep me in because I’d like to keep going as long as possible.
“I feel like Dancing On Ice came at the right time for me and even though it has been super hard and super challenging, it’s been what I’ve needed.
“Sometimes I’m amazed I’m still here but I’ve stuck with it, and I’m super grateful to be part of the show.
“Everyone involved has been so