The competition is really hotting up on Dancing On Ice 2014 and professional skater Dan Whiston, who is partnered with Coronation Stree star (and longtime BFF) Hayley Tamaddon, has admitted that everyone is feeling the pressure. But, despite Hayley's injuries, despite the heightened tension backstage, and despite Ray Quinn leaping to the top of the leader board last week, Dan has confessed he's still feeling confident about the competition…
Hayley was bandaged up for her performance last week
Yes, her injury is going to take some time to heal up. But she's not letting anything get her down and is - literally - soaring through the rehearsals this week. Yes, she is in pain, but she's just trying to get on with it because we don't want to take any time off. And her dedication shows, too; she's learnt how to keep driving through the pain and, even though one leg was completely bandaged up last week, she still managed to score the third spot on the leader board.
We loved our performance last week, but the retro song choice wasn't necessarily our cup of tea…
The song choice that you're given has nothing to do with us and it does make a difference - if the viewers at home like a track, and like the music, then they're going to be more likely to enjoy the dance routine better. But there are different tastes out there and I'm sure our smooth jazz routine more suited to some viewers over others - it's give and take.
Honestly, we prefer the up-to-date songs, we prefer skating to something everyone knows - because, when everyone knows the son, we can add our own stylisation to a chart-topping hit. Just like we did with Jai Ho! But, while we absolutely loved Jai Ho and get so much feedback from fans, we really don't want to do it this year because it's our skate-off routine. We don't want to be in that position.
We can't wait to perform this week's routine…
This week, the twist of the show is that everybody is learning a new dance style and bringing it onto the ice. We have a really up-to-date song and are doing the Charleston, so we're really looking forward to it - it's going to be amazing.
If there's going to be any routine that's going to suit Hayley, it's the Charleston. It's really jazzy, it's really fun and it requires a lot of performing. Jason has said in the past that Hayley's face lets her down sometimes and, yes, we've watched our routines back and she does have a couple of moments where she loses the facial expression because she's worrying about her feet - but there's no room for any error this week. At all.
I can't tell too much about the others, but I do know we have a Scottish dance, a jazz, a ballet and the flamenco in the mix. It's going to be all different kinds of dance styles, all taught by specialised professionals, and this week has been really fun to rehearse, as we're bringing something really new to the competition.
I can't believe Todd Carty has left the show!
I was upset to see Todd Carty leave on Sunday, because I feel like he brings something to the competition. Yes, he's not as good as everyone else, yes, he's not as talented a skater - but he does bring something new to the competition. So I was upset - but he did stay longer than many thought he would. And Todd himself would agree he had a good run, had a couple of good performances and made people smile - that's what it's all about. It's all about entertaining the public.
My dream skating partner is…
… Katie Price! She'd be really good viewing, wouldn't she? She's very straight talking and very hard working and she'd be good to do the head-banger with - she wouldn't bang her chin, let's put it like that! It'd certainly be good telly if there were a wardrobe malfunction - everyone would tune in to see that alone.
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Enjoyed the 5 Minute Abs Challenge? You need to try my Bingo Wings Challenge next…
This routine is for getting rid of those wobbly bits under your arms. And all you need to do it is four minutes and two cans of beans.
Yup, the body bit every girl is desperate to get rid of can be busted by tins of beans, so don't go out and buy weights!
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First of all, take both tins in your hands, lift them up over your head and start a scissor motion - cross your arms and uncross them again for a minute.
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Next, extend your arms to the sides - so your body is shaped like a T - and start shaking those cans hard, again for a minute.
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Lower your arms and curl them inwards, so your hands are just above your stomach. Again, shake those tins of beans hard for a minute.
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Finally, for sixty seconds, work on raising your arms up from from stomach to above your head and back again. Try to get a nice rhythm going.
Easy-peasy! If you try this routine every day, or even every other day, you'll definitely start to see results.
Make sure you feed your body when exercising…
When we're rehearsing routines all week, we don't eat what we want - we eat what we crave. When you're exercising, your body will crave something it needs, like jacket potatoes, pasta, lots of meat, fish and carbs - so listen to your body and refuel. Think of your body as a car in need of petrol - when you've taken it for a long drive, fill it up. There's a reason your body is crying out for certain foods!
Tensions backstage are at an all-time high…
The tension backstage is sky-high. In the past, it's been a bit more relaxed at Week 4 but, now, everyone is a previous champion or one of the top three, so obviously the standard is really high. And everyone wants to be at the top of the board. Almost everyone has been injured as a result - the physio room has been packed.
Luckily, me and Hayley are old friends, so we have a lot of banter on the ice. I may have won the competition three times, but I go into each show fresh - I never want anyone to feel pressured from a previous year's success. We're trying to focus on the present, on the day we're in, and don't look too far back or too far forward. Each competition is a brand-new competition.
Make sure you tune into Dancing On Ice 2014 this Sunday on ITV - and don't forget to vote!