The judges have tipped him as one of the strongest celebrity skaters on the ice this year, but that doesn’t mean rugby star Gareth Thomas will be getting an easy ride – as this week, the DOI coaches have thrown a 360 degree jump into his routine!
“The choreography I’ve got for this week is really, really full-on,” he told us as he got to grips with his new moves, with ice mentor and choreographer Christopher Dean adding, “He’s got a lot more steps than he’s had and different lifts. In actual fact, he’s doing everything that he’s never done before.”
But though his professional partner Robin Johnstone is convinced, “Gareth Gareth thrives on the pressure,” the Welshman has been finding this week’s difficult training sessions frustrating. “I do get frustrated easily at myself and not being able to do it. Now I’ve got to a point where I just feel like giving up,” he said, adding, “Every fall just hurts that little bit more and takes a little bit longer to get up.”
Pep talks from Robin and Christopher have been helping him through the week, but can Gareth pull of his big step on the night? Find out from 6.15pm, Sunday 17th February on ITV1.