Dancing on Ice - Steve Backley
11 January 2008 - Introducing celebrity skater Steve Backley
Age: 38
Occupation: Retired athlete
Skating partner: Susie Lipanova
Celebrity Supporters: Mark Foster, Liz McColgan, Roger Black, Jonathon Edwards,
He may have been European champion four times over, won the Commonwealth Games three times, and medalled at three consecutive Olympic Games but now Steve Backley faces his toughest challenge yet as he swaps his javelin spear for a pair of ice-skating boots.
"I've only dropped Susie once, only the once so far!"
Despite being a competitive sportsman, Steve feels that he is at a disadvantage:
"Being a complete novice, being six foot five and being sixteen stone does not do me any favours in Dancing on Ice. So really I'm a complete fish out of water. I'm scared to death. I'm absolutely scared shitless."
Partnered with Susie, Steve shares a similar worry to the other male skaters - dropping their female partner.
"Susie is fantastic. She is the absolute perfect partner. She's very, very sweet and when I first met her I thought 'she's very sweet' but she's hilarious as well. She's so funny we just laugh at every training session. She's a Geordie and that's my roots, I'm a Geordie and my parents are Geordies.
"You do feel that sense of responsibility though. I'm very aware of the fact that Susie's up there and it's a long way to fall. She's a very brave girl, they're all very brave. I've only dropped her once, only the once, and that was a shame."
Steve is enjoying learning a new skill and is dedicated to perfecting his routines and unusually for a male competitor is looking forward to the glitz and glamour of the competition.
"I've woken up every morning wanting to go skate and actually if I'm on the ice between say eight and eleven and its five to eleven I'm going 'damn! I've only got five minutes left, I don't want to leave'. They have to drag me off the ice.
"I'm kind of enjoying all of it. Athletics isn't very showbizzy and this is, and that is the unknown for me. All the bling and the smiles and the 'lights, camera, action' is all very exciting. I'm interested in being in a sporting contest but also in a glitz and glamour, lights, camera, action context."
Steve is expecting jibes from his mates but knows that really they are all behind him.
"I think even your mates are giving you a bit of stick about being dressed in Lycra and doing all your stuff, they're laughing but in a kind of 'oh good on you' sort of thing. It's bit of fun and you don't take yourself too seriously, you're learning a skill and mixing with some lovely people so it's great."
The Olympic medallist is however feeling sleep deprived and is struggling to eat enough to keep his weight up.
"They're telling me that I'm wasting away because it is so energy consuming. I can't eat enough to keep the weight on me."
Despite being friends with the other boys, Steve sees Greg Rusedski and Hollyoaks' Chris Fountain as his biggest threats.
"Chris and Greg are better skaters than me. I will work as hard as I possibly can to minimise the gap but I don't think I have any edge other than presenting the skating that I can do as well as I possibly can do it."
Despite his competitive streak, Steve isn't too worried if he is voted out of the competition first.
"I'm looking forward to watching everyone else dance. I hope I go first so I can sit on the side and just kind of put my jacket on, sit nice and quietly and watch everyone else and really enjoy the show."
