Prince Rupert figure skating star Carlotta Edwards is set to make her television debut this January in the show Dancing On Ice in the United Kingdom.
Edwards moved to England a few short months ago in preparation for her part in the acclaimed figure skating show.
An experience that has been surreal for the girl born and raised on the north coast, Edwards said she is still not fully adjusted to life in the spotlight.
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“The first day at the ITV we actually had a car come pick us up and I thought, ‘wow, so fancy’,” said Edwards, “then we had a runner on set asking us if we wanted food or drinks, it’s crazy.”
Edwards and her partner Alex Demetriou have been skating together for many years, for Disney on Ice and on cruise ships around the world, but this is an entirely different experience for the couple.
“We’ve only skated together once since we got off the ship… It’s a completely different thing than we have ever done,” said Demetriou.
The first and most surreal part of the process was meeting their celebrity partners, who they would have a few short weeks to turn into bona fide skating stars.
For Edwards, the meeting didn’t go as planned.
“I came out of the bathroom and he was just there, I had to look around to see if there were cameras, it was crazy, I had to pretend like I didn’t know him,” Edwards said.
Despite the awkward first encounter, Edwards said she couldn’t be happier with her pairing.
“Richard is amazing and he’s been doing so well, I can’t wait to see him progress,” Edwards said.
Edwards’ partner is Richard Blackwood, a British, comedian, actor and rapper. He has been in the popular show EastEnders.
The first couple of weeks have been eye-opening for the pair, Edwards said, but they are counting down the days until they finally get to hit the stage and show off all of their hard work.
“I can’t wait to do the first number, to get back out there and perform again,” Edwards said. The show starts up in the new year on Jan. 6, at 9:30 PST. For anyone who wants to follow Edwards throughout the show, they can stream it through ITV.
While the show promises to live up to the hype, Edwards’ has already had her expectations blown out of the water.
“It has lived up to the hype and more, it has been the best time ever, I’ve never felt so welcome and loved,” Edwards said.