Joey Essex set tongues wagging when he called his Dancing On Ice partner Vanessa Bauer “easy on the eye” during week one of the competition.
And as dating rumours continue to circulate, he has praised the skating pro for keeping him in check.
He says, “I said to Vanessa that I’m going to do as well as I can. She trusts me. She’s been in the final every year so that’s the aim!
“She’s really strict – it’s intense, but I’m very grateful. I asked for this! I wanted someone who’s going to put me in my place because otherwise, I’ll be doing silly things – cartwheels and all that.”
TOWIE star Joey, 32 – who’s denied being in a romance with Maura Higgins after they were spotted smooching last year – impressed the judges with his first skate, scoring a respectable 27 out of a possible 40.
However, despite enjoying the journey so far, he confesses that it’s not easy to switch off.
“Mentally it’s been hard, which I expected,” he admits. “I’m going to bed at night like, ‘OK go left now and then do this!’”
And while he’s throwing himself into the show, Joey admits he’s holding off from performing any complex skate moves just yet.
He laughs, “I want to do something whacky, but I just don’t want to knock myself out of the competition!”