Hannah ice axe

S Club star considered quitting as illness added to stress of training

- LAURA ARMSTRONG

HANNAH Spearritt told pals she was ready to Say Goodbye to Dancing On Ice after the gruelling rehearsals left her in tears.

The former S Club 7 star, who has an auto-immune disease, is said to have been "overwhelmed" by the toll of reaching peak physical condition for the show's launch tonight.

And although Hannah, 42, kept her concerns quiet, ITV bosses feared she would quit after she missed a series of rehearsals leaving her lagging behind the rest of the skate stars.

A source said: "Before Christmas, there was a spell where Hannah was missing more than one session a week. Losing those hours has a real impact. She has found the training harder than she expected and, at times, has been in tears.