EMILY SYMONS

Skating Partner: Daniel Whiston

Star of Emmerdale, Emily Symons, certainly has her work cut out for her. Her skating partner is one half of the winning duo from series one – Daniel Whiston.

So how does the Australian actress feel about stepping into Dancing on Ice Champion, Gaynor Faye’s spectacular boots?

“I thought Daniel and Gaynor were fantastic last year. When they said Daniel was my partner I nearly fainted – I couldn’t believe it. I just thought ‘he is going to magic me into being a decent skater!’ It is so thrilling to be put with Daniel, I am not sure how he feels about it though!

“My favourite skater of the last series was Gaynor, I think she is incredible. She was working full time and has two children. I am working full time but don’t have any children and I can barely cope. I don’t know how she managed it! She was just so gracious and put in so much work.

“I’ve met Gaynor – she hasn’t seen us skate yet but Daniel is very close friends with her and her family still. You form a close bond with your partner and I think Daniel and I now will be friends for life.

“I have so much respect for Daniel – he is the most brilliant human being. So funny, kind and patient and we are getting on really really well – which I think is important.

But Emily does not want to tempt fate and predict following in her predecessor’s foot steps all the way to the final:

“I can’t even think about winning. I think it is bad luck. I am going to take it one week at a time. You don’t know how you are going to be on the night. When we did a rehearsal in front of everyone the other day I was shaking – I could barely move. I’ve really got to sort that out because if I can’t do it on the night because I am so nervous. I won’t even get through the first show!”

Emily who shot to fame as Marilyn Fisher in Neighbours, comes from a family who love ice skating. In fact, her brother has competed at high level ice dancing competitions:

“As a teenager my brother Ben competed as an ice dancer in Sydney. We were all really proud of him. This is where my interest of ice skating came from, plus my mum being the biggest Torvill and Dean fan in the world!

“My mother spent a lot of time getting up at 4.30am to drive Ben to training. It was always my brother’s sport and we always had a family interest because of him. I used to go and watch him in competitions and concerts and I used to think ‘I want to have a go at this ice skating.’ So I got my own skates, I used to zoom around – more stagger! But I wasn’t really interested in getting up at 4.30am and putting all the hard work in. All I wanted was the white skates!”

“Mum used to have the Torvill and Dean Olympic video on every couple of hours – we’d be like ‘Oh God’ she is playing it again. So we had a lot of skating interest in our family.”

Meeting Torvill and Dean for the first time was something of a moment for Emily, and in addition to learning to ice skate she is also practising remaining ‘cool’ around them:

“I was so overwhelmed and thrilled to meet Torvill and Dean…they are legends. I think they are fabulous and I nearly go into fits every time I see them, I am trying to get over that now, I keep having to say to myself ‘be cool Emily!’ On the first day I nearly spontaneously combusted!

“I have to keep my mum away at the moment. When she does meet them I will be like, ‘be cool be totally cool Mum!’”

Emily professes to be thoroughly enjoying the experience despite it being the hardest thing she has ever done. She is most excited about the costumes, and perhaps most worried about what judge, Jason, will say about her:

“I’m really enjoying it. It’s great working with Daniel and we are having fun..It’s also the hardest thing I’ve ever done! Physical and mentally – it’s so gruelling! The time you put in to master the tiniest little step! I have so much admiration for professional ice skaters – they are geniuses.

“One minute you think you are doing really well and the next you are on your backside. You can never get too cocky about how you are going. I have spent so much time falling over!

“I am most looking forward to the glamour and the costumes of the live show. I always look hideous at training – I am dreading the VTs of me in training!

“I thought Jason was very controversial and I think I will be upset if he says something horrible, but you’ve just got to take it on the chin that’s all part of it. Whatever he says!”

“Everyone is terrified of him and what he is going to say!”