From soap stars to former Premier League footballers, the full line-up for the 2025 edition of Dancing On Ice has been revealed.
Here’s a look at the contestants who will be taking to the ice rink for the ITV skating show when it returns to screens on Sunday January 12.
Dan Edgar
Edgar, 34, is best known for his role on ITVBe reality series The Only Way Is Essex, which he has appeared on since 2015.
During his time on the show, he has been in relationships with numerous co-stars including Lauren Pope, Chloe Sims and Jess Wright. Prior to joining the programme he worked as an electrician.
Speaking about why he signed up for the show, Edgar said: “It’s obviously a massive show that I’ve enjoyed watching over the years so I think it will be an amazing experience.
“I’ve always been able to ice skate, I can’t dance, but I can get about on the ice. It’s the dancing I’m a bit worried about, because if you see me on the dancefloor, it’s almost non-existent, it’s terrible.”
Mollie Pearce
The 22-year-old is best known for finishing as a runner-up on BBC reality gameshow The Traitors, where she was betrayed by her friend Harry Clark, who revealed he was a traitor rather than a fellow faithful at the end of the show’s second series.
Pearce was born with no fingers on her right hand, and was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis at the age of 11, an autoimmune condition causing inflammation in the large intestine, which led to her having her colon removed.
She has worked as a disability model for the likes of Kurt Geiger, Zalando and Bodyform.
Speaking about what she was most looking forward to on the show, Pearce said: “I’m really excited to meet the other cast and mainly just to start training and get out on the ice.
“I’m beyond excited so I just want to get going. Also my white skating boots, I can’t believe I actually own a pair, they are everything.”
Chelsee Healey
Healey, 36, is best known for her roles as Janeece Bryant on BBC school drama Waterloo Road, Honey Wright in the BBC medical drama series Casualty and Goldie McQueen in the Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks.
She also reached the final of the ninth series of Strictly Come Dancing in 2011, when she was partnered with Pasha Kovalev, finishing as a runner-up behind McFly’s Harry Judd and Aliona Vilani.
The actor said of her appearance on the show: “I love a challenge and I’m definitely due a challenge, this is my first job after having my second baby.
“How lucky am I being able to have the opportunity to learn a new skill that you’d never normally be able to learn?
“I’m a performer at heart, so being a part of a big production and in that bubble is just a dream for me so I can’t wait to get going. I feel really lucky to be given such an incredible opportunity.”
Michaela Strachan
Best known for her time presenting the BBC’s Countryfile and her current role as the presenter of Springwatch, 58-year-old Strachan also had a brief music career under the name Michaela, where she had two hits on the UK singles chart in H.A.P.P.Y Radio and Take Good Care Of My Heart.
Other TV work has seen her appear on Good Morning Britain, Great British Ghosts and The Great Penguin Rescue. In 2014 she appeared as a contestant on the ITV celebrity diving show Splash!
She has also held the Ladies’ World Gurning Crown, after entering the World Gurning competition at Egremont Crab Fair in 2002.
Speaking about why she signed up for Dancing On Ice, Strachan said: “Because I’m a showgirl at heart, I love a challenge and I enjoy fitness, so to focus on something that will enable me to get fitter really appeals to me.
“I love the creative side of dancing, I trained in musical theatre a very long time ago. I really enjoy performing so to be able to go back to that which is something I’ve not been able to do for a very long time really excites me.”
Charlie Brooks
Brooks, 43, is best known for her role as Janine Butcher in BBC soap EastEnders, and has also appeared in The Bill, Wired and Bleak House.
She won the Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special in 2011 and won ITV’s I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! in 2012, beating Pussycat Dolls singer Ashley Roberts and former boxer David Haye to the jungle crown.
Brooks said of her upcoming run on Dancing On Ice: “As a 43-year-old single woman I am saying yes to the world. Saying yes to things is my new life mantra, I’ve spent so much time overthinking things whereas now I’m in an era of my life where I just think: why not?
“It’s an opportunity for me to be at home, have a strong focus and look after my body, all whilst learning a brilliant new skill.
“I don’t ever like to be in my comfort zone and this is taking me massively outside of my comfort zone.”
Ferne McCann
The 34-year-old is known for her time as a cast member on The Only Way Is Essex, joining the show in its ninth series and leaving in its 17th.
From 2016 to 2018, McCann worked as a showbiz reporter on This Morning and has also starred in her own show Ferne McCann: First Time Mum, from 2017 to 2023, before it was rebranded as Ferne McCann: My Family And Me.
She also finished third on the 15th series of I’m A Celebrity in 2015, behind Union J singer George Shelley and Geordie Shore star Vicky Pattison.
Speaking about why she decided to sign up, McCann said: “This feels like the right time in my life as there were talks last year – but it wasn’t the right time, seeing as I’d only just given birth to my youngest daughter, Finty.
“I love a challenge and as a fan of the show, what I love most about it is the sporting element.
“Not many people know this about me but I love sports and we have to respect the fact that it’s an Olympic sport, so I love that combined with the performance element. I’m a bit of a showgirl, I always joke I could have been in the West End.”
Sam Aston
Best known for playing Chesney Brown, Aston has appeared on ITV soap Coronation Street since 2003.
Speaking about his concerns going into the show, the 31-year-old said: “I’m nervous about the pressure of it all, as much as I’m excited about the training and getting going there are so many moving parts to the show from routines to the live shows, so I’d say I’m most nervous about juggling all of that.”
Josh Jones
Comedian Jones, 32, has appeared on shows including Jonathan Ross’ Comedy Club and 8 Out of 10 Cats, and has hosted the BBC Three competition Fast Food Face-Off.
Speaking about what his family and friends think of him appearing on the show, he said: “They all want to come, they all think I’m going to make an absolute fool out of myself, none of them think I’m going to do well.
“I just don’t want to fall or hurt myself, I’m very clumsy and prone to injury so I think they were shocked when they found out I was doing it.”
Chris Taylor
The 34-year-old is best known for appearing as a contestant on the fifth series of Love Island in 2019 and its spin-off show Love Island: All-Stars last year.
He had a cameo in Greta Gerwig’s Barbie film in 2023, appearing as Ken Emcee after meeting Margot Robbie, who is a Love Island fan, at an after-party.
Speaking about why he joined Dancing On Ice, Taylor said: “I’ve had very little success with the dating shows I’ve been involved with recently so I just thought: you know what, let’s try something that is the polar opposite of dating to see if I can have some success with that.
“It appears to be more dangerous than dating, but who knows? I could be good at it if I put my mind to it.”
Anton Ferdinand
The brother of former Manchester United and England star Rio Ferdinand, the 39-year-old played football for West Ham United, Sunderland and Queens Park Rangers.
In November 2020, he presented Anton Ferdinand: Football, Racism and Me, after former Chelsea defender John Terry was banned for four matches and fined £220,000 after being found guilty of racially abusing him on the pitch while Ferdinand was playing for QPR in 2011.
Ferdinand retired from football in 2019 after a spell with Scottish Premiership side St Mirren.
Speaking about what his family thought of his appearance on the show, Ferdinand said: “My family are all buzzing, my daughter is beside herself and excited about the live shows.
“I’m one of seven siblings and the whole family wants to come down, I don’t know if I’ll have enough tickets. Rio and Kate (his brother’s wife) are buzzing for me and have already asked about getting tickets.”
Sir Steve Redgrave
Sir Steve is the most successful male rower in Olympic history, winning five gold medals at five consecutive games between 1984 and 2000.
The 62-year-old has said he could not dance or skate before signing up for the show, and revealed producers had told him not to practise skating until his first official training session.
Following his retirement from rowing in 2000, Sir Steve has gone on to star in the 2008 Sport Relief special; Top Ground Gear Force, which saw Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond destroy his garden; and also launched his own clothing brand, FiveG, which was sold in Debenhams.
On why he joined the show, Sir Steve said: “I’ve never had the opportunity before as my diary was always so packed due to my training.
“The other reason is because earlier this year Chris (Dean) and Jane (Torvill) celebrated their 40th anniversary of them winning in Sarajevo – and it’s my 40th anniversary as well (of his first gold medal at the Olympics).
“The show asked me to record a segment for Chris and Jane and what they mean to British sport both then and now, and at the end of it I said: ‘I suppose you’re going to try and get me on the show now?’ And here I am.”
Dancing On Ice returns on Sunday at 6.30pm, live on ITV1, ITVX, STV and STV Player.
