DANCING On Ice glamour girl Melinda Messenger has revealed why her marriage hit the deep freeze-and how husband Wayne melted her heart to win her back.

Speaking for the first time since their passionate reunuion, blonde mum-of-three Melinda, told the News of the World all about the agonies she suffered a year ago as their relationship hit the rocks.

She said: "Christmas 2007 was really painful and full of worry about the future," admitted Melinda, who stars in tonight's first episode of ITV1's hit skating show.

"We tried not to show it for the kids. But I was thinking this is probably our last Christmas together.

"After nine years' marriage we'd got to such a dead place sometimes I felt like I had more interaction with my neighbours. I'd think, 'Why can't he just say hello to me in the morning? Is that so much to ask?'

"It got to the point where we were like two strangers living in the same house."

Worries

It was the heartbreak climax to a year of hell with scores of rows. They argued over celebrity model Melinda's role as the family's main earner, and her workload brought extra stress.

But the couple had been drifting apart for several years, despite supporting each other through Melinda's post-natal depression after her children-Morgan, eight, Flynn, six, and Evie, five-were born.

"Things had cooled in the bedroom department too, long before we separated," said Melinda. "Let's just say it became a case of few and far between."

Melinda, 37, has been accused of being too focused on achieving the perfect family. But she insisted: "Really I'm very laid-back. I absolutely love my life and we have the most amazing kids.

"But we'd got ourselves into a rut and needed to spend more time with each other talking about other things besides worries and problems at work.

"One issue was me being the main breadwinner. In the heat of the moment Wayne might say something like, 'I don't understand how your work makes you so stressed.

"And I'd say, 'Well, you're so lucky to stay home with the kids.'

"But this career has worked incredibly well for me and the family, and we decided this was the way to make it work. And Wayne does plenty. He's not at all lazy and contributes loads to the family."

When the separation came last February Melinda feared they were heading for divorce. She said: "It's sad but at first when we announced it I told myself 'This really is it. We're finished.'

"When Wayne left with his bags I thought, 'I don't feel it, I don't feel sad-that's a really bad sign.' We'd got to such a point that basic niceties didn't exist. We were completely taking each other for granted.

"And being on my own wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. It was stressful having to do everything for the kids and work, but it was a relief not to have the arguments any more."

For the first few months apart Melinda and Wayne refused to spend any time together. He would help look after the kids while she worked on TV projects like new Five show Cowboy Builders which she hosts with Dominic Littlewood.

She was also developing her new perfume, Delightful, which hit the shops this month. Meanwhile Wayne, 33, moved out of their Berkshire house, into the Swindon home of Melinda's brother, and stepped up his involvement in the family electronics business. The couple did everything they could to avoid each other while still making sure the kids got some time with their dad.

Melinda even began to ponder a future without Wayne. "I did get hit on a few times which was flattering but I certainly wasn't ready to think along those lines," she said. "The last thing I needed was another relationship clouding things up."

But after a while Melinda started to recall the things that made her fall in love with Wayne 13 years ago.

"Then one day I was sitting out in the garden watching the kids playing," said Melinda. "And Morgan came up and said, 'You know, I really miss Daddy. When is Daddy coming home?' I just had this searing pain in my heart and I thought 'We've got to try and make this work for all our sakes.' We got back together gradually. It started with Wayne coming at the weekend to see the children, then it was him staying overnight in the spare room, which became 'Daddy's room'.

"And then I started thinking 'Wow, you're really beautiful!' One day it had been really tough for Wayne-he'd hurt his knee, he was on crutches, he'd got caught out in the rain and was really depressed. I remember thinking, 'Ooh, I do love you.' I wanted to take care of him."

She told us how the magic moment finally came after a worried phone call from Wayne. "He was really upset and needed to know where we stood," she said. "We met in a park and I said, 'Why don't you come and spend the evening at home?'

"Later when he went to leave I said, 'I don't want you to go. Why don't you stay here?' He was saying things like, 'What about my clothes and work?' So I said, 'I think it's time your clothes came home.'

Kisses

"The night Wayne moved back in Morgan noticed him coming out of my room and said to him, 'Why aren't you sleeping in YOUR bedroom?' Then it kind of dawned on him and he was so pleased. He was grinning from ear to ear.

"At the end of the day I knew, if for nothing else, we had to give this one more shot for our kids. Wayne has agreed with me to try and sort out our differences. I now get more hugs and kisses, he tells me he loves me and he sends me lovely text messages as opposed to just 'Can you bring home bread?' or 'Put another wash load on.'

Now it's like 'I love you babe. I miss you.' And he'll cook me dinner or take me away for a weekend.

"We've had a couple of arguments but now, instead of erupting, I'll walk away and calm down."

Plus Melinda-partnered with skating professional Fred Palascak on the show-has noticed another fringe benefit: "I get back and foot rubs again-which I really need with all this skating!

"Things are MUCH better in the bedroom. You wouldn't believe the difference getting fit makes and the training's done wonders for my figure!"

Dancing On Ice starts tonight at 7pm on ITV1.