Who is Lemar Obika? Dancing On Ice 2018 star who was the fifth celeb to leave the show
SINGER Lemar threw himself into a new challenge after replacing ex-England cricketer Monty Panesar on ITV's Dancing on Ice.
He's had a difficult time on the rink, finding himself in the skate-off four times before he became the fifth celebrity to depart. Here's what you need to know about him.
Who is Lemar and how tall is he?
Lemar Obika was born in Tottenham, North London, on 4 April 1978 - that makes him 39.
He grew up listening to R&B and soul music. He often sang at home with his brother and sisters, and they pretended to be The Jacksons.
His first taste of the limelight came at 17, when he supported Usher at the Junior Jam at The Temple in Tottenham.
At 5ft 11.5in, Lemar is slightly taller than the average male.
When was Lemar in Fame Academy?
Lemar shot to fame in the first ever series of Fame Academy, which aired in October 2003.
He came third in the show, which was presented by Patrick Kielty and Cat Deeley.
Despite only coming third, Lemar - who has had seven top ten UK singles and sold over two million albums - is seen as one of the most successful singers to come out of a reality TV show.
Before his time on Fame Academy, Lemar managed to secure a recording contract with BMG.
But, the deal with BMG fell through in less than a year - and he ended up working in Natwest.
More dancing on ice news
Why is he on Dancing on Ice and who's his partner?
Lemar replaced Monty Panesar on Dancing on Ice after the ex-cricketer crashed on the ice in training and broke his ankle.
He was strapped up and ordered by doctors to stay away from sport for at least six weeks.
Lemar now partners 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.”
What are Lemar's biggest songs?
Lemar has had a string of smash hits over the years. But these are his highest charting:
- Dance (With U), released in 2003 and got to number 2
- 50/50 & Lullaby, released in 2003 and got to number 5
- Another Day, released in 2004 and got to number 9
- If There's Any Justice, released in 2004 and got to number 3
- Time to Grow, released in 2005 and got to number 9
- It’s Not That Easy, released in 2006 and got to number 7
- The Way Love Goes, released in 2010 and got to number 8
Who's Lemar's girlfriend?
Lemar has been in a relationship with partner Charmaine Powell for over 20 years, and the couple welcomed their first child, a baby girl called Nyiema Obika, in 2008. They're also parents to son Uriah Obika.
Lemar has previously spoken of his decision to keep the romance out of the spotlight.
He said: "We made a conscious decision to keep our relationship out of the media. It's hard enough to have a relationship, let alone under scrutiny.
"I imagine if we made it public then probably we wouldn’t be together now. Keeping it separate and keeping it quiet is key."
Is Lemar on social media?
Lemar can be found tweeting semi-regularly over on Twitter. His username is .
He's also managed to bag the same username over at , where he posts quite regularly.
Lemar also has his very own Facebook page, which has over 32,000 followers.
You can follow him .