Mark Rhodes & Frankie

TV presenter Mark will compete against his best mate Sam Nixon for the first time since they first met on Pop Idol back in 2003. And he knows it’s not going to be easy…

“Ice skating is the hardest sport I've ever tried and will ever try. Sam and I have done some crazy stuff for cameras, like synchronized swimming – but nothing compares to this,” he says.

And as a result of all the training, he’s been shedding lots of weight. “I've lost about six pounds, it's amazing! The thing is you use muscles that you never ever thought you had and it's just so hard on those muscles that you've not used before. You do get a bit achy, but it's the best fitness slavery I've ever had!”

Frankie began skating at the age of 10. She says her first attempts on ice were disastrous as all the other kids were whizzing around and Frankie couldn’t let go of the barrier. However, she persevered and soon competed in regional competitions before entering the world of professional shows aged just 18.

Frankie started as a chorus skater at a show in France and soon got promoted to Principal Adagio skater which she continued doing across Europe for five years. She has also toured, South America, the States and Canada.

One of Frankie’s career highlights was taking part in the Radio City Christmas Spectacular in Detroit. Frankie was the Principal Adagio skater in ‘Planet Ice’ onboard the Explorer of the Seas which is one of the World’s largest cruise ships.

Frankie made her Dancing on Ice debut in Series 2, coming 5th with Lee Sharpe. In Series 3 she came 2nd with Chris Fountain, in Series 4 she came 8th with Ellery Hanley, in Series 5 she came 5th with Danny Young, and in Series 6 she came 9th with Comedy Dave.