Even though this years series of Dancing on Ice received its lowest ever viewing figures, the number of people ditching their everyday footwear for ice-skates is on the rise.
The National Ice Centre (NIC) in Nottingham is where it started for ice dancing champions Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean, and it now holds a Skate UK programme that teachers people of all ages how to skate.
Rebecca Collett is a performance coach at the NIC and she said people take part in Skate UK after seeing celebrity contestants on the show.
“The amount of middle aged women who say ‘I’ve seen Charlene [Tilton], or Rosemary [Conley| on the ice’ and are really inspired by it” says Rebecca.
Colin Ratushniak is a professional ice-skater from Canada and appeared on last years series of Dancing on Ice. He said the good thing about the show, is that Torvill and Dean have ‘sparked interest’ in different communities.
“I’m starting to see more and more rinks popup here and there, in malls and around Christmas time”
Hear more from Colin, Skate UK and the impact Dancing on Ice has had on the sport below.
If you’ve been inspired to learn to skate, you can find out how to take part in the Skate UK programme at Nottingham’s National Ice Centre.
Or, you can catch Torvill and Dean at a local ice stadium near you as they take Dancing on Ice on tour. For more details, visit their website.
