14 January 2024 , 23:06
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Dancing On Ice star Hannah Spearritt paid an emotional tribute to late S Club 7 bandmate Paul Cattermole - who passed away suddenly last year.
The 42-year-old singer dated tragic Paul - who died of heart failure aged 46 last April - when they were members of the band in the late 1990s and early 2000s. S Club had been planning an epic reunion tour before Paul’s sudden death - and while other members of the group pressed on with the live dates, Hannah opted not to take part as she was too devastated by Paul’s death.
Now Hannah is one of the twelve celebrities taking part in the 2024 season of Dancing On Ice - which returned to screens on Sunday night. During an introduction segment on the show, Hannah told viewers about herself.
And she made reference to the tragic passing of Paul and how his death has impacted her. Hannah explained: “Me and Paul, we grew up together, he was part of the band. When Paul died, it was just hard. It's been a challenging year. Things will never be the same again."
Hannah Spearritt fought back tears while discusses the death of Paul Cattermole (ITV)Hannah battled back tears as she talked about her friend - and viewers were touched by her tribute to him. One viewer taking to X commented: "Aww well done Hannah , Paul would be proud #DancingOnIce."
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During her first performance on the rink, Hannah showed off her developing ice skating skills alongside her professional partner Andy Buchanan. The pair glided around the frozen surface - with Hannah performing moves and stunts while Andy held her aloft in the air.
The judges granted the duo a score of 19.5 out of a possible 40 - with Jaye Torvill commenting: “Well done for doing such difficult lifts… We need to see more of the basic skating. It is improving but you could do more.”
Hannah and Paul dated when they were members of S Club 7 (PA)
Hannah is now competing on ITV's Dancing On Ice (WireImage)Hannah has reportedly struggled through rehearsals for the ITV show - and even considered quitting before the current season began to air. A source told the Mirror: “Before Christmas, there was a spell where Hannah was missing more than one session a week. Losing those hours has a real impact.
"She has found the training harder than she expected and, at times, has been in tears. She has confided in pals about her struggle, and told them she wanted to walk away. And while she never voiced this to ITV, the bosses were concerned that she would fall too far behind and pull out altogether. Luckily, she has really rallied since Christmas and now seems in a much better place.”
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Fans have been sending Hannah messages of support online and vowing to support her through the competition. On Sunday, one fan commented on social media: "Good luck hannah, you'll be amazing, I know ill be voting for you." And the star secured enough votes to make it through week one, meaning she will advance to the next stage of the contest.