Doctor will skate with you now
Surgeon’s balancing act as he becomes Dancing On Ice’s newest professional
AS an orthopaedic surgeon, he is well trained in handling speed, pressure and a few breaks and sprains.
But last night doctor Tom Naylor exchanged his surgical scrubs for skates – in his new role as Dancing On Ice’s latest professional recruit.
The 32-year-old looked smart in a tuxedo as he danced with his celebrity partner, Coronation Street actress Lisa George.
And a doctor dancer is not the only first for the ITV show, which returned last night. It made British television history as its first same-sex couple – Steps star Ian ‘H’ Watkins and skater Matt Evers – took to the ice. Naylor, who learnt to skate when he was seven at the Blackpool Arena and Pleasure Beach, grew up around both professions as his father is a doctor and his mother a seamstress who makes ice skating costumes.
He told the Daily Mail: ‘Growing up in Blackpool, I always knew I wanted to skate for a bit. I skated competitively through high school and sixth form.
‘I carried on skating through medical school and once I moved to work full time I had to cut back completely on skating work because the doctor work is full time, intense and there’s no scope to fit it in.’
The doctor, who lives in Manchester and will juggle his work at the hospital and on the show, added: ‘When we started Dancing On Ice, I had to cut back on the number of shifts I could offer, which was unfortunate, but the departments I have been working with have been really positive. There’s a need in medicine for encouraging people to follow hobbies, interests and other jobs.’
Last night former pop star Watkins, 43, who has two children with his ex-boyfriend, earned a standing ovation after skating to High
Hopes by Panic At The Disco – and reduced judge John Barrowman to tears. The judge, who is gay, said he was ‘overwhelmed’, adding: ‘Seeing two men who represent someone like me and skate as well as you did... You’ve showed that men can skate together, so now do all the tricks!’
Watkins would only agree to go on the show if he was paired with a man because he wanted to ‘fly the flag for my community’. His skating partner Evers, 43, who is gay, added: ‘Thank you to the network, thank you to ITV and thank you to everyone at home who is accepting of this.’