Graham Bell is the latest celebrity to be joining the 2021 cast of the much-loved skating competition show – Dancing On Ice. The ITV series sees a whole host of big names, most of whom are skating amateurs, take to the ice alongside a professional to impress a panel of judges. Express.co.uk has everything you need to know about Graham Bell and his career.
Who is Dancing On Ice 2021 star Graham Bell?
Graham Bell is best known for his time as an Olympic skier and he is also a TV presenter and journalist.
Across his career, he has presented a number of BBC shows including Ski Sunday and High Altitude.
Bell is used to testing his limits as he is known to have survived a night in a snow-hole without any supplies.
Followers of Bell most likely watched his skiing highlights at the Arctic Circle Race and of course the Winter Olympics.
Bell was born in Cyprus in 1966, which makes him roughly 54 years old, and he has had a passion for skiing since he was just five years old.
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His father, who was a pilot, had been posted to Edinburgh in Scotland and he learned to ski there.
Bell and his brother Martin, who is also a professional skier, competed as British athletes across the 80s and 90s.
He retired from the profession in 1998 and started his TV career at Eurosport, where he acted as a commentator for the World Cup Ski Circuit.
Bell has already taken part in a number of TV competitions including Celebrity Eggheads and Ready Steady Cook.
However, the married father-of-two is yet to have taken part in any competition like Dancing on Ice.
Bell said it was not the ice he was afraid of, it was the element of dance, saying the extent of his dancing experience was “dancing on tables”.
He said fellow contestant Jason Donovan is likely to be one of his biggest threats during the competition.
Bell announced the news at the same time as athlete Colin Jackson, who is also taking part in the 2021 series.
The official Dancing on Ice Twitter account tweeted: “Welcome @skigrahambell and @ColinJackson CBE as the seventh and eighth celebrities confirmed to take part in Dancing on Ice 2021! #dancingonice.” To which Bell replied: “Can’t wait @ColinJackson bring it on.”
He also posted a video of himself with the message: “Can’t wait to learn some figure skating skills @dancingonice So excited I borrowed the
@JohnBarrowman catchphrase #fabulous.”
In the video he is heard saying: “This winter I am going to be wearing a very different type of boot.”
He then threw his ski shoe up in the air and replaced it with a skate, saying: “Hey everybody, I’m doing Dancing On Ice, it’s going to be fabulous.”
Fans took to Twitter to send their best wishes to the presenter and former Olympian, with one saying: “Do you think the skills will be easily transferable? Although I’m a reasonably good skier, I am terrible at ice skating. Also, I’ve REALLY hurts when you fall!”
Another fan said: “Does this clash with Ski Sunday? Please don’t hurt yourself Graham.”
Despite how he fares in the skating competition, Bell continues to be one of the best downhill skiers the UK has produced.
He has claimed the title of Ski Champion of Britain eight times.
Dancing on Ice will air in 2021