Radzi Chinyanganya says he “isn’t ready” for Dancing on Ice after he became a last minute replacement
Radzi had to step into the skates of Michael Barrymore late in the game
There’s already been plenty of drama on the Dancing on Ice rink this year, with celebrity contestant Michael Barrymore forced to pull out due to injury.
Now, his replacement – former Blue Peter presenter Radzi Chinyanganya – has opened up about the difficulties of joining the show at such short notice, revealing that he still feels fairly unprepared to step on the ice.
“If I’m honest I’m not ready for it because I had written off any chance of being part of the show,” Radzi said.
“This last week has been like a whirlwind. I’ve already lost my voice. Getting a place in the show was a bolt from the blue, replacing the legend that is Michael Barrymore. I’m just accepting whatever is thrown at me and whatever is asked of me.
“You get one chance to dance on ice, and when it comes your way you grab it by both horns and you try to hang on.”
However, Radzi admitted that “once chance” was also his biggest concern about the show, noting that he didn’t consider himself a natural performer.
“It doesn’t matter how it goes in training or rehearsals, you only get one chance, live on television in front of millions of people,” he said.
“I am not a performer in the slightest. I don’t always hear the beat and so an awful lot can go wrong on the night.
“Choreography doesn’t come naturally to me. Conveying and expressing on my face and my body isn’t something I ever do. It’s totally brand new and I’m starting from scratch. It’s also something that I can take away for the rest of my life.
“My only focus is getting through that first live performance in one piece,” he added.
“And looking across at my partner Jess and hopefully getting a smile from her.”
Fingers (and skates) crossed that Radzi’s done enough to catch up with the other contestants…
Dancing on Ice airs on ITV on Sunday nights
