Meet Patsy Palmer: Dancing on Ice 2023 contestant and former EastEnders actress

She managed to pick up a score of 21 with her routine to Ride on Time and missed last weekend's skate-off – which saw John Fashanu become the first contestant to leave the show – but how will she fare with her musical number?

This week, ITV1 teased a change to the end of Sunday's show, revealing that there'll be "a dramatic twist to the elimination" this week.

Read on for everything you need to know about Patsy Palmer.

Who is Patsy Palmer?

Age: 50

Job: Actor and DJ

Twitter: @patsypalmerx

Instagram: @patsypalmerofficial

Partnered with: Matt Evers

Patsy Palmer is an actor who has been working primarily on British television for decades.

She began her career on children's drama series Grange Hill which ultimately paved the way for her major breakthrough role in BBC One's EastEnders, where she played the role of Bianca Jackson.

Best known for her tumultuous relationship with fellow Albert Square resident Ricky Butcher (Sid Owen), Bianca became one of the most popular characters in the show's history, appearing regularly between 1993 and 1999, and for a second stint between 2008 and 2014.

Palmer also performs as a DJ and, in 2020, was one of the mystery celebrities on The Masked Singer UK.

Patsy Palmer's Dancing on Ice 2023 scores

Week one: Ride on Time by Black Box (5.0, 5.0, 5.5, 5.5) = 21

Patsy Palmer landed in 5th place with her first Dancing on Ice performance, picking up a score of 21 for her routine to Black Box's Ride on Time.

Despite the low score, she managed to avoid the skate-off, with Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu going up against John Fashanu in Sunday's show before the latter was eliminated.

What has Patsy said about joining Dancing on Ice 2023?

During an appearance on ITV's This Morning to announce her involvement in Dancing on Ice 2023, Palmer discussed why she wanted to take part – having refused earlier offers from the show.

"Out of all the things that came through at that time, this was the one that I had to really think about," she began. "Obviously I wanted to challenge myself, get back to work, get out of my comfort zone. I just thought, I’ll just go for it! It seems a lot of fun. I do like ice skating, although I’m not a figure skater.

"I’ve been absolutely terrified before, but I feel like the pact I made myself when I was 50, which I was this year, was I had to do things to challenge myself for the next couple of years and get out of my comfort zone. I don’t wanna get stuck in this thing of, 'Ah, I’m 50!' It’s such a weird age."

Palmer added: "This is for all the 50-year-olds that think they can’t challenge themselves!"

Meanwhile, in an Instagram post, the former EastEnders star wrote: "ICE ICE BABY… Let the fun begin! Thank you to This Morning, as always… looking forward to seeing you soon."

Dancing on Ice 2023 continues on ITV and ITVX on Sundays at 6:30pm. Check out more of our Entertainment coverage or visit our TV Guide to see what's on tonight.

Try Radio Times magazine today and get 12 issues for only £1 with delivery to your home – subscribe now. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to the Radio Times View From My Sofa podcast.