BLADE RUNNERS

Stars get their skates on for the 16th series of Dancing On Ice

The biggest show on ice is back with 12 celebrities taking to the rink in the hopes of being crowned 2024's Dancing On Ice champion without breaking any bones in the process.

To prepare for the show, former Coronation Street actor Ryan Thomas asked advice from 2008 Dancing On Ice runner-up and ex-Hollyoaks regular Chris Fountain.

"I'm Chris's biggest fan - and now he's going to be my biggest fan," says Ryan, who has been partnered with Amari Fancy. "Chris is pretty special around the ice. He's the only person I've ever let have a little skate around with my partner and he puts me to shame. They are magic on the ice. If I'm half the man he is on the ice, then I've done him proud," he adds.

Chris has been putting the 39-year-old through his paces, much to the surprise of Ryan's fiancée, Lucy Mecklenburgh, 32. "On Christmas Eve, Lucy walked in and she saw Chris and I holding hands doing our footwork practice in the living room," says Ryan. "She went, 'What's going on here?' Chris is actually coming to watch the first show and I'm really excited."

The line-up is varied - Ricky Hatton, Amber Davies, Greg Rutherford, Claire Sweeney, Miles Nazaire, Eddie "The Eagle" Edwards, Ricky Norwood, Lou Sanders, Roxy Shahidi and Hannah Spearritt have all signed up.