I hope Holly is back on Dancing On Ice…she’s a ray of sunshine, says Vanessa Bauer ahead of The Real Full Monty
DANCING On Ice star Vanessa Bauer has told how she hopes Holly Willoughby will return to the ITV skating show.
The German pro, 27, admitted that the skaters have not been told who will be presenting the series on its return on January 7.
Holly, 42, quit ITV’s This Morning in October after an alleged kidnap plot, leaving her future on Dancing On Ice in doubt.
Speaking to The Sun on Sunday, Vanessa said: “None of us know what is going on with the presenting side.
“She is such a ray of sunshine every single time she comes to the studio, so hopefully she is going to return, but I have no idea.”
Vanessa added: “She has so much respect for us pros and our job. It is a completely different world to Holly’s with presenting.
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“She is an expert in her field and we are experts in ours, we both very much respect that.”
Holly’s fellow presenter Phillip Schofield will not appear following the This Morning scandal. We understand Holly has been offered a contract.
Vanessa has signed up for ITV’s The Real Full Monty, ready to strip alongside TV presenter Julia Bradbury and ex-rugby player Ben Cohen among others.
Each cast member has either gone through a cancer journey or known someone who has been diagnosed, and the show raises money for charity and awareness of the disease.
Vanessa’s dad, Marco, passed away in 2021, aged 62, following six years living with cancer.
She said: “My dad and I were really close.
"Just before he passed he said that he would survive that round of chemotherapy.
‘I have a life to live’
“Then unfortunately he did pass so it came as a shock. It is hard for me to talk about it even though it was two years ago.
"Grief has been coming in waves. I have not entirely healed yet.
"The Real Full Monty has been a huge part of the process.
“There were moments where I came home and cried afterwards because I was speaking about my dad dying when he was not supposed to die.
“Even though the show upset me, I knew I was doing it for all the right reasons and my own growth too.”
The skating star also revealed that the programme boosted her body confidence — after struggling with eating disorders from the age of seven.
She said: “My body’s health is my greatest asset. I am barely anything if I didn’t have my health.
“It was an empowering experience and I don’t have body dysmorphia at all any more.
“I love my body for what it can do for me, not for its looks, and I hope to encourage people to feel the same way about their bodies.”
Vanessa, who grew obsessed with her weight as a teen after cruel coaches branded her a “fat cow”, said: I feel like I have very good tools on how to deal with stress and trauma, as there have been a lot of setbacks or traumatic experiences growing up.
"So I have always had to deal with pressure.
"I guess I believe I am very strong mentally, I meditate, I am a professional yoga teacher.
"I do yoga every day but I don’t teach, even though I have the licence, and I just know what it means to take care of yourself mentally as well as physically, but most importantly mentally.”
Asked if she is conscious about checking her health following the death of her dad, she said: “I do check but at the same time I am not obsessed with checking myself every single day, I have a life to live.
“I know I am doing all the necessary steps, like eating healthily, doing the work mentally and physically, looking after my body while training every day.”
In September Vanessa confirmed her relationship with boyfriend Dan Underwood, the co-founder of social media marketing company YRDS for sports stars.
Of her new romance she said: “Yes we are together and he is great, a great support, and he understands.”
Meanwhile, Vanessa is paired with Made In Chelsea star Miles Nazaire, 27, for the next instalment of Dancing On Ice.
And by the sound of it, she seems optimstic for success in the 2024 series with her latest dance partner.
Describing the reality TV star’s skills on the rink, she said: “I believe people are going to be quite shocked about what he is able to do on the ice.
“He doesn’t have a dance or performance background and he has never performed live in front of an audience.”
Despite being paired with handsome celebs such as Miles, she does not fear the Dancing On Ice “curse” speculation after she was linked to reality star Joey Essex, 33, for the series in January this year.
She said: “On the show we are performers and we are there to tell a story on the ice.
"I love choreographing our routines and I am known to choreograph every single one of our performances.
"Sometimes your celeb partner engages in the choreography as well and they bring in their own ideas, which I always embrace.
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“At the end of the day we want to entertain you with a truthful experience that is true to acting and, yeah, if people see more behind the story on the ice then let them see that, but we are pros and hopefully they see the art in what we do on the TV.”
- The Real Full Monty is on ITV1 tomorrow and Tuesday at 9pm.
