Pan star Jake's playing it cool with new TV job

Star of Blackpool's Christmas musical Jake Quickenden is the latest celebrity announced for the return of Dancing On Ice.
Jake Quickenden as Peter PanJake Quickenden as Peter Pan
Jake Quickenden as Peter Pan

Jake is playing Peter Pan in the production at the Winter Gardens in December, but is not scheduled for performances come the new year.

He came to attention in the 2014 series of The X Factor and went on to come second to ex-world superbike champion Carl Fogarty - who lives in the Ribble Valley and has property in Lytham - in I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here later that year.

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The singer was announced for his latest reality TV challenge this morning on ITV's Lorraine, on which he is an occasional guest presenter.

Jake, who lives in Manchester and is engaged to Carl's daughter Danielle, said: "I’m terrified. I had my first training session yesterday. I was freezing, I went in a t-shirt. Ice is cold.

"It was amazing. The coach was unbelievable."

Jake will join fellow celebrities Coronation Street actress Brooke Vincent, Great British Bake Off winner Candice Brown, ex-rugby international Max Evans, Bucks Fizz star Cheryl Baker and Love Island winner Kem Cetinay.

Blackpool's own Dan Whiston looks set to be rejoining the series, although his role is yet to be confirmed.

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Dan, 38, was the original show's most successful professional skater, appearing in all nine series from 2006 to 2014, winning the show three times - in 2006 with Emmerdale actress Gaynor Faye, Blackpool soap and stage star Hayley Tamaddon in the fifth series, and with Olympic gymnast Beth Tweddle in the eighth series.

He also partnered Hayley in the final All Stars series, with the duo finishing in second place.

On Monday, he tweeted: "Ready, Steady........GO!" and an emoji of ice skates.

The show is coming back to screens in the new year, with former coaches Jane Torvill and Christopher Dean returning as judges, and Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby presenting.

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Another local link to the show is fellow Pleasure Beach skater Kate Stainsby, a regular star of Hot Ice until her retirement from the show last year.

Kate, an ice drome coach, was paired with Vanilla Ice in series six and Gary Lucy in the All Stars version.

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