Already feeling the absence of Strictly Come Dancing from your weekend viewing schedule? We have good news: Dancing on Ice is back for a brand new season from Sunday 15th January.
Eleven celebrities are currently training with their professionals ahead of their debut on the ice rink, hoping that they’ll be able to nail enough moves to impress judges Ashley Banjo, Oti Mabuse, Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean.
One of them will be comedian Darren Harriott, who has been paired up with Tippy Packard, the three-time Hong Kong figure skating champion.
Here’s what you need to know about Harriott before he gets his skates on.
Who is Darren Harriott?
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Age: 34
Job: Comedian
Instagram: @darrenharriott
Twitter: @darrenharriott
Paired with: Tippy Packard
Harriott is a comedian who has toured around the UK with two stand-up shows, Visceral and Good Heart Yute, as well as appearing on TV in shows like Live at the Apollo, The Last Leg, 8 Out of 10 Cats and Mock the Week.
In 2021, he presented Dave’s travelogue series British as Folk along with fellow comedians Ivo Graham and Fern Brady, and the following year he brought plenty of laughs as a regular panellist on Love Island’s weekly spin-off show Aftersun.
It’s not the first time that Harriott has taken part in a TV dance competition: last year, he was one of 10 celebrities to feature on The Real Dirty Dancing, performing iconic scenes from the movie.
He also hosts the podcast Shame Is Delicious with comedian Eshaan Akbar, which sees the pair explore the concept of shame with a series of special guests.
What has Darren Harriott said about joining Dancing on Ice 2023?
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When he announced that he’d be appearing on the show, Harriott made light of his dancing abilities, joking to Talk TV host Trisha Goddard: “I’ve got giant feet, I don’t skate and I can’t dance!”
He also revealed that his family had already started “making bets that I’ll fall on the first episode”. There’s nothing like support from your nearest and dearest.
Posting on Instagram earlier this month though, Harriott seemed to be feeling more confident in “team Dippy” (aka Darren and Tippy).
“Let’s go!!!!!!!!! Me & @tippyroo_2the_rescue are ready and very excited!” he wrote.
Dancing on Ice airs on ITV1 and ITX on Sunday 22nd January at 6:30pm. Check out more of our Entertainment coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide for more to watch.
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