Heather Mills preparing to take The Jump

Mills, who divorced McCartney in 2008, is a keen skier who has won medals for for the British Disabled Ski Team.

She was ranked 28th in the world in slalom and in line to compete at this year's Sochi Winter Olympics before leaving the British team at the end of 2013 after an alleged row with an International Paralympic Committee [IPC] official. The IPC had ruled that a new ski boot she was using had not been ratified by the committee.

But even for someone as accomplished on the snow as Mills, the show is likely to represent a tough challenge, especially when it comes to the live ‘jump-offs’ which pit the two lowest scorers from the individual challenges against each other on the ski jumps.

Other events in the competition include high speed skating, the giant slalom and bobsleigh.

Former rugby player and husband of Zara Phillips, Mike Tindall, is the first celebrity to be confirmed for next year’s show which will be filmed in Austria.

Also rumoured to be included in the line-up is Sally Bercow, the wife of the Speaker of the House of Commons who has previously appeared on Big Brother.

A Channel 4 spokeswoman declined to comment on the speculation.

Last year’s competitors included pop star Sinitta and five-time Olympic gold medal rower Sir Steve Redgrave.

The competition was eventually won by one of the many back up contestants, pop star Joe McElderry, who was on a skiing holiday when he was called up after injuries saw several celebrities depart the contest.

The Jump returns early next year on Channel 4

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