Dancing on Ice - Sarah Greene
11 January 2008 - Introducing celebrity skater Sarah Greene
Age: 47
Occupation: TV presenter
Skating Partner: Fred Palascak
Celebrity Supporters: Lesley Joseph, John Scott, Myleene Klass, Mike Smith
"I'm dreading the witty and insightful comments judge Jason Gardner will have about me, especially because he's usually right"
TV presenter Sarah Greene describes her skating as comical but despite that she is overjoyed to be fulfilling her girlhood dream of 'dressing up' once a week.
"I am so looking forward to the costumes. For anybody who likes playing dress up like me, this is a dream. As a little girl I always wanted to wear these sorts of sparkly dresses and I've had to wait rather a long time to wear them. That's just one side of it. Most of all I'm looking forward to making my family proud.
"My skating is comical but there has to be a bit of comedy in everything, a bit of lightness. I am becoming braver. My problem has been fear and I'm learning to be not as scared."
After twenty years as a TV presenter, Sarah has worked in almost every area of broadcasting but is most fondly remembered for being a Blue Peter presenter. A far cry from her days dealing with stickyback plastic, Sarah has also been seen on stage in The Vagina Monologues, a reminder that she trained first and foremost as an actress.
Challenging herself in many news ways in the past few years, including a round the world trip that she describes as her 'gap break', she was more than happy to rise to this latest test.
Her experience in pilates has been one advantage as the strength gained from this sort of exercise is so important.
"Little did I know how much core strength was going to come into play with ice skating. The first assumption is that its all about your feet and arms and legs but from a girl's point of view of being lifted into the air its about having that strength about your middle to hold yourself firm and rigid. When you're trying to balance you're using every single muscle in your body."
She is also becoming accomplished in what she calls the whole new language of ice skating.
"You can bore the pants off everybody who doesn't know what you're talking about because there is this whole vocabulary that goes with skating and now I know it. Learning the language of skating such as the meaning of 'two forward cross over's on the left hand side' is just as tiring as the physical side of it."
Sarah also has a very special bond with Torvill and Dean, having been charged with presenting them with their gold Blue Peter badges after their win at the 1984 Olympics.
"I was in love with Torvill and Dean, as we all were as a nation. I was right at the very beginning of my television career and I was lucky enough to be the person that had to go to Heathrow airport and meet them in Rolls Royce and bring them back to London when they landed back on home soil after winning the Olympic Gold. I gave them each their gold Blue Peter badge. I remember my heart being in my mouth because I was completely overawed by them and their skill and the romance of it. When I saw Jane and Chris for the first time after all those years they were sweet enough to pretend that they remembered it."
While she's trying to remain positive, Sarah does have a few overriding concerns and top of her list is acid tongued Jason Gardner.
"I'm dreading the witty and very insightful comments of Jason Gardner. This is the thing about him - we may not like the way he says things but usually the things he says are true so I'm really dreading that.
"I'm also worried about how I will be perceived by the public, I mean I haven't been on terrestrial television in years and an awful lot of people are going to go 'who the heck is she?
"There's more to look forward to than to dread though, that's what I go to sleep telling myself when I'm feeling over whelmed with fear thinking 'what the hell am I doing this for?' putting myself through torture. Then I think 'hang on a minute remember you're enjoying this,' which I am."
