15 January 2024 , 16:53
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Claire Sweeney has opened up about the brutal training she is enduring on Dancing On Ice at the hands of her partner Colin Grafton.
The 52-year-old soap actress is one of the twelve original contestants on season sixteen of ITV’s long-running winter sports competition. She is partnered with American pair skater and model Colin, 32 - who has competed at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in the past.
Colin takes the sport incredibly seriously and has not allowed Claire to slack off during their training sessions. Claire has claimed that her professional skate partner won’t even allow her a toilet break as they perfect their moves on the rink.
Appearing on ITV’s This Morning on Monday, the Coronation Street star explained that her training sessions for Dancing On Ice are as tough as they can get. And she said that Colin can tell when she is lying and trying to sneak an extra break from rehearsing.
Claire Sweeney has opened up about her brutal Dancing On Ice training with Colin Grafton (WireImage)
Claire says Colin won't even allow bathroom breaks when they train together (ITV)She said: "He's very patient Colin. He is lovely and so patient and kind. He is relentless though. He doesn't give me a minute. Even when I want to shoot to the toilet he's looking at me going 'You're lying.' And I am a bit, but..." Dancing On Ice returned to screens on Sunday night - and Claire suffered an injury behind the scenes of the glitzy show. She revealed: "I'm clumsy at the best of times. We got a nice roast dinner on set before the show and I'm walking back to my dressing room and I fell over with it! That's not even on the ice!"
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The star also fears that she won’t be able to act her way out of a bad routine however long she ends up taking part in the show. She said: "I've spent years faking it from the waist up. I was never a great dancer but I could make really nice shapes. You can't do that on the ice. You can make a nice shape but if your feet are not doing very good at the bottom, you're in trouble."
Claire revealed all during an appearance on ITV's This Morning (Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)Claire continued: "I've done as much as I can, but... I was glad I stood and watched last night. I don't know if you've ever got that feeling when you wake up of a morning and think, 'Don't make me do it.' And you want to get back under the covers. And I woke up yesterday and I thought 'I feel alright.' But I still got nervous, I was glad I had a week just to watch.” She added: “But then if I do get through it gives me less than a week to work on my next routine."
Sunday night's show saw Holly Willoughby make her hotly anticipated return to screens as she returned to host the show three months after she dramatically quit This Morning after a kidnap and murder plot against her was foiled. TV fans were thrilled to see her back on the box - where she shimmered in a champagne coloured gown.
Dancing On Ice continues on Sunday at 6:30pm on ITV1 and via ITVX.