Lemar to join Dancing on Ice as Monty Panesar crashes out with broken ankle
Stepping into his Monty's skates, singer Lemar is reportedly 'thrilled' to get the chance to compete after training as the programme's reserve
THE return of Dancing on Ice is more than a month away but the revamped show has already claimed its first casualty.
Ex-England cricketer MONTY PANESAR has been forced to pull out of the ITV skating series after crashing on the ice in training and breaking his ankle.
He has been strapped up and ordered by doctors to stay away from sport for at least six weeks.
Monty will be replaced by singer LEMAR, who has been secretly training as the programme’s reserve and will now partner the French professional skater MELODY LE MOAL.
A show insider said: “Monty suffered a nasty fall during training and has badly injured his ankle. It’s a quite serious fracture and he’s out of the competition.
“He’s been told there’s no way he can be part of the new series, which he’s absolutely devastated about.
“He couldn’t wait to try a new sport and concentrate on something new in 2018 after retiring from his cricketing career.
“Lemar was obviously gutted to hear about Monty’s accident but is thrilled to have got the call up to the show. He’s been putting in plenty of hours of training.”
Monty signed up to Dancing on Ice after knocking back offers from The Jump and I’m A Celebrity, as The Sun told you in October.
The charismatic spin bowler was due to be joining CANDICE BROWN, DONNA AIR and JAKE QUICKENDEN among others on the ice in January.
HOLLY WILLOUGHBY and PHILLIP SCHOFIELD will co-host the show, which is back after a four-year break.
An ITV spokesman confirmed: “Owing to an injury sustained in training, Monty has had to withdraw from the competition.”
Earlier this week I revealed that producers had warned the skating celebrities to lay off the big portions over Christmas so they don’t put on too much weight to squeeze into their skimpy lycra outfits for the launch.
At least Monty doesn’t need to worry about rationing the festive chocs now.
ITV's hosts with the most
RYLAN CLARK-NEAL has revealed the perk of being a host on This Morning – you get your own loo.
Talking about colleagues HOLLY WILLOUGHBY and PHILLIP SCHOFIELD in a video on my Facebook page, Rylan said: “A little trade secret, unless you’re hosting the show you don’t have a dressing room.
“So Holly and Phil have got a dressing room, with its own little toilet, and then on a Friday RUTH LANGSFORD and EAMONN HOLMES have them.
“The rest of us fend for ourselves.
“We have our own green room. They don’t mix with us peasants.”
While he may not get VIP treatment, Rylan – whose new segment Never Too Late starts tomorrow – did reveal one takeaway perk of the job.
He joked: “I rob at work, but I’m an honest robber.
“If there’s a gadget, I’m like, ‘I’m taking this, bye’ and no one stops me. But ALISON HAMMOND, she’s like, ‘Bubs, have you seen this dress? Put it in the bag’.”
Drama's chain of events
THEY say never work with children and animals – and it’s a lesson actors in BBC1 period drama The Miniaturist learned the hard way.
The two-part thriller, due to be screened around Christmas, is a magical tale set in an Amsterdam house that hides a dark secret.
But the actors often found it hard to do serious scenes because of a canine cast member called Mr Snaps.
He had to bark on cue – but would only do it if he heard a toilet flushing.
Because there was no loo nearby, his trainer would play a recording on a phone. ROMOLA GARAI, who plays stern Marin Brandt, said: “We had to do these takes of very serious scenes with people welling up.
“Throughout the whole thing was the sound of this flushing toilet.”
They need not worry too much though.
Because it’s a Beeb drama we probably won’t be able to hear the words, let alone the toilet flush.
soapbox
ZAC has to make the devastating decision to have the Dingle family dog Alfie put to sleep in EMMERDALE.
After the poor dog collapses, it’s discovered he has cancer.
In CORONATION STREET, Phelan sends Luke on a wild goose chase, and Mary’s allies take action on her behalf.
Anna breaks down over Gary’s demise, and her grief becomes unbearable.
Meanwhile, Mary, Jude and Angie are worried by George’s new health scare, while Brian has the nerve to upstage Roy in Santa’s grotto.
On HOLLYOAKS, Kim and Farrah take the big step of moving in together. Prince’s plans spark a disagreement between Tony and Diane.
- HAVING signed up for the celeb Christmas edition of The Chase, KIRSTY WARK has dismissed talk that she’s too highbrow for ITV’s quiz. The Newsnight host said: “There used to be snobbishness about people in politics. You have to get a life.”
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