Hollyoaks legend signs up for Dancing on Ice after husband was finalist on Strictly

HOLLYOAKS star Carley Stenson has signed up to appear on the 15th series of ITV's Dancing on Ice.

The actress played Steph Cunningham on the Channel 4 show for 11 years before heading off to forge a new career in the West End.

Carley, 40, left Hollyoaks in 2011 and after taking to the stage she met her now husband Danny Mac, 34, who was also on the soap.

He was a finalist on Strictly in 2016 after being paired with Oti Mabuse and turned out to be one of the most sensational contestants the BBC1 dance show ever had.

A TV insider said: "Carley's husband knows a thing or two about doing well in a TV talent contest like this and he's sure to be sharing some valuable advice for her as she prepares to take to the rink.

"But after carving out her own career as a performer on TV and later in the West End she already knows a thing or two about dazzling audiences.

"And fans of Hollyoaks will also be following her progress closely on Dancing on Ice as she will always be remembered as a favourite on the C4 soap."

Danny, who played the character of Dodger Savage on Hollyoaks from 2011 to 2015, married Carley in 2017 and they have a one-year-old daughter, Skye Bella.

Carley’s character was killed off by producers. Steph allowed herself to die in a fire rather than succumb to cervical cancer, which she’d been told was terminal.

She won't be the only soap star taking part on this year's series of Dancing on Ice, which is set to return to ITV in January with another star-studded line-up.

Patsy Palmer became the first celebrity to be unveiled for the competition via a live link to the US on This Morning on Monday.

The actress, best known for playing Bianca on EastEnders, was talking from her home on the other side of the Atlantic where she restyled herself as a wellness guru.

She wants to remain close to her children in the US so will prepare over there before eventually coming to London for the start of DOI.

She said: "I'll be travelling back, but training in Los Angeles which I feel blessed about. I'm going to try to win. I don't know how you do that, but I'm going to go for it."