Ben Foden slams Dancing on Ice co-stars and accuses them of pretending to be bad on the ice to fool viewers
BEN Foden has accused his Dancing on Ice co-stars of "playing down how good they are" to shock viewers.
He warned fans "don’t be fooled" as Rachel Stevens and Connor Ball said they were worried about their performances.
"We've all worked hard in the leadup to it," said ex-rugby player Ben.
"Every year it steps up and this year's it's pretty good.
"I've watched both Rachel and Connor and they've been playing themselves down in interviews while I've been trying to big myself up. Maybe that was a mistake.
"Don't let anyone fool you. Everyone is good. Everyone has their strengths.”
The 36-year-old continued: "Rachel is very graceful, she knows her lines and where the camera is.
"Connor is a bundle of energy - his skating is awesome and I know he'll be wicked when he jumps on the ice.
"Everyone is going to be good so everyone is my competition."
He joked that he planned to sabotage their performances, saying: "I need to start leaving some beads on the ice if I'd like to get as far as I do in this competition."
Married Ben left his co-star Rachel Stevens speechless this week as he called her the "sexiest woman in the world".
He enjoyed a flirt with the S Club 7 star as his wife Jackie insisted he'll "never cheat".
Ben, 36, was speaking to press ahead of his debut on the ice this weekend.
Asked what she's got that is "unique" in comparison to the rest of the competition, Rachel gave a lengthy reply before Ben cheekily interjected: "That and you're the sexiest woman in the world, Rachel."
Ben shares two children Aoife, nine, and Tadgh, six, with his ex-wife Una.
He was unfaithful to The Saturdays singer, later admitting: "I was the one who committed adultery... It's not ideal but we're very amicable."
Ben married his second wife Jackie Belanoff Smith a year and a half after his marriage broke down.
She told MailOnline he'd never cheat on her, adding: "From day one he's never made me feel paranoid or insecure...
"He's not once worried me. I think you just know, deep down, when that could happen and it's not a possibility with us, so I'm not concerned."