‘Matt's the perfect housemate – he even takes the bins out'

Denise Van Outen tells her Dancing On Ice partner has fitted right in with her family and reveals she’s relieved to have come through Covid earlier this year.

- RHONA MERCER

Make no mistake, Denise Van Outen is one very busy lady. When we get her on the phone for a catch up, she’s been training for her forthcoming stint on Dancing On Ice in the morning and filming all afternoon, not to mention juggling her demanding schedule with being a mummy to her 10-year-old daughter, Betsy.

But if Den is overwhelmed she’s certainly not showing it – instead it’s clear she’s thrilled to be keeping occupied during such tricky times. In fact, lockdown 2 hasn’t dampened her spirits, as she tells us she’s “really excited” for DOI to start in January.

However, earlier in the year things weren’t quite so bright and, even now, with the entertainment industry on its knees, Denise, 46, is itching to get back out there and perform. “I was born with jazz hands!” she laughs, as she settles down for our chat.

Mind you, even though she’s a veteran of stage and screen, that’s not to say she’s feeling confident about taking to the ice alongside partner Matt Evers in front of millions of people. As well as finding training “tough”, she knows balance isn’t her strong point.

“I’m one of those people who has a penguin to keep them upright when they go ice-skating,“ she admits. “But I can’t be holding a penguin in front of Torvill and Dean!”