Pressure off for Dancing On Ice star Ray Quinn - AUDIO
RAY Quinn - winner of the 2009 competition and former Brookside star turned West End performer - feels the pressure is off this time as he dons his skates for the Dancing On Ice tour.
So much so, in fact, he hadn't been on the ice since he finished the previous romp around the nation's arenas.
AUDIO: Press the play button to hear David Dunn's interview with Ray Quinn.
MORE AUDIO: Dancing On Ice: Hayley Tamaddon talks to The Star - CLICK HERE.
"There was a lot of pressure because of winning it, people expect certain things about you. I just tried my best, tried to improve," he said when we caught up with him at home near London.
"But I haven't skated since I finished, so I've got two weeks of practising. I've got new boots and skates, though.
"I've traded up and bought myself a pair like Christopher Dean wears - if they're good enough for him, they're good enough for me."
Ray swiftly proved to be something of a natural when he bagged most of the votes last year. He says the main thing now is getting his muscles back into shape because of using different groups when doing panto or appearing in Grease in the West End, as he has been doing.
"I've not had a chance to skate to be honest. I really haven't. But I had a lot of fun last year and this time I've got a different partner, so it should be different and a challenge, a new adventure.
"I can't sit back but I can try not to feel that pressure and just enjoy it a bit more but I'll have other things to think about with a new partner and different music."
While many celebrities on the show have surprised themselves, Ray has a philosophical outlook and hints at a competitive streak.
"You can't sit back just because someone says you're good enough.
There's always someone behind you ready to take your place.
"But I think whatever's meant to be won't pass you by and if you put your mind to it you will achieve it. You've just got to believe in yourself and I tried to do that as much as I possibly could, because a lot of other people were. So I took it on board, did what they told me and it helped."
Aged just 10 when Merseyside soap Brookside ended, Ray is now 23 and something of a heart-throb. While he remains modest about that, he is pleased his ice antics had such an impact.
"After Dancing On Ice a couple of people in the street came up and said 'we voted for you' or 'my son started skating and he's really into it because of what you did on the show'. It's quite nice to hear that I inspired boys to get up and put on a pair of skates instead of picking up a football.
"You don't normally get that, to have that kind of influence, it's really nice. Then if you look at the telly now every channel has dancing on it, or singing; X-Factor or American Idol, you've got Dancing On Ice, Britain's Got Talent. The whole world has gone dancing, skating mad.
"Dancing On Ice is a good family show, a good all-rounder. It's like it was for me watching a show, we'd all sit down and get the family together. It gets the family together and they can be involved and vote. It's a great thing, really."
Away from skating Ray has a few things in the pipeline he's keeping schtum on for now, but he is looking forward to being back in Sheffield.
"I enjoyed getting out and seeing a bit of the town last time. I've been there four times, more than I've been back to Liverpool."
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