Greg and his partner plan to do moves never done before on the show.

By Katelyn Mensah

Published: Sunday, 14 January 2024 at 07:00 AM


Olympian Greg Rutherford MBE will be taking part in this year’s Dancing on Ice, and viewers are, no doubt, in for a treat.

The now retired track and field athlete was the fifth celebrity to be announced for the new season, and will be skating alongside the likes of Ricky Hatton MBE, Ryan Thomas and Hannah Spearritt.

Rutherford exclusively told RadioTimes.com that he was able to develop his ice skating skills “quite quickly” as he had skated “a little bit” when he was a child.

“I skated a little bit as a child so it didn’t feel completely unfamiliar to me,” he said. “I couldn’t do a lot of things on the ice but you develop that quite quickly. I think for me, I wasn’t as cautious as others who have never been on the ice before.”

Rutherford will be performing alongside retired pair skater Vanessa James, who has represented Great Britain, Canada, France and the United States over the course of her figure skating career.

Want to know more about the Olympian? Read on for everything you need to know about Dancing on Ice contestant Greg Rutherford ahead of the show’s return this weekend.

Who is Greg Rutherford MBE?

Greg Rutherford and Vanessa James. They are doing a skating pose
Greg Rutherford and Vanessa James. ITV

Age: 36

Job: Olympian

Instagram: @gregjrutherford

X (formerly Twitter): N/A

Dance partner: Vanessa James

Greg Rutherford is a retired British track and field athlete whose speciality was the long jump over the course of his Olympic career.

His victories at the Olympics has earned him something of an icon status in British sporting history. He is the second of three athletics gold medals, between Jessica Ennis-Hill and Mo Farah, and the fifth of six golds in the total from Super Saturday.

Since retiring from sports, Rutherford has appeared on a number of television programmes including Strictly Come Dancing, Celebrity MasterChef and The Chase: Celebrity Special.

What has Greg Rutherford said about joining Dancing on Ice 2024?

Speaking on Good Morning Britain, Rutherford shared his excitement about taking part in the competition.

He said: “My kids love dancing around so hopefully they are going to enjoy watching me dance with blades on my feet!”