Dancing on Ice’s Steve Redgrave surprises co-star with ‘history-making’ announcement

Olympic rower Steve Redgrave is getting ready to skate on Sunday’s Dancing on Ice, and he revealed on Friday’s Lorraine what sets him apart from the other celebrities this year

Olympic medal winning rower Steve Redgrave is taking to the ice this Sunday for Dancing on Ice, and on the Lorraine morning show he discussed how he thinks he is making history on the reality series.

Host Ranvir Singh, who was standing in for Lorraine Kelly, asked Steve if he was, at the age of 62, making history as the oldest contestant the show has ever had. He replied: “I don’t know if I am the oldest, or if I am the tallest, but I am certainly the heaviest.” He also revealed he was finding it “much, much harder” than he expected. “We’ve probably done about 60 hours of skating practice and I am still rubbish,” he added.

He was a guest on the show with fellow Dancing on Ice competitor Charlie Brooks. She rushed to his defence, and said to him, “You are too hard on yourself.” She also teased him about his costume, joking to Ranvir that Steve would be wearing “a see through sparkly vest and his chest is going to be on display” during his first performance on the ice. Steve teased back, saying he has a prop for his first ice dance and it could be a zimmer frame.

Steve was chatting about Dancing on Ice on Lorraine ( 
Image:
ITV)
Steve has previously spoken about the injuries that have made Dancing on Ice bosses “very nervous.” The retired athlete is hailed as one of Britain’s greatest Olympians ever, having won more than 16 golds at World Championships, the Commonwealth Games and the Olympics, but he is struggling with a number of health conditions and injuries as he trains for Dancing on Ice with professional skater Vicky Ogden.

“I have colitis, I’m a diabetic. I have a frozen shoulder,” he said. “I had a fall on the third day, which irritated the shoulder and there were a lot of things we couldn’t do.” Steve also struggles with Dupuytren’s contracture, which causes his fingers to curl towards his palm, and left producers panicking after picking up another injury.

Steve is one of the oldest contestants the show has had ( 
Image:
© 2025 PA Media, All Rights Reserved)

Steve is partnered with professional ice dancer Vicky Ogden ( 
Image:
PA Wire/PA Images)

“I pulled a hip flexor so that’s all in the first few weeks,” he explained. “I think the production team got very nervous. They were saying, ‘We’ve got to wrap him up in cotton wool. We’ve got to get him to the show.’ And here we are.” He added: “We’ve been given all the protective gear but no, I haven’t put it on at all.”

His diabetes could also affect his ice dancing. “I’ve been diabetic for almost thirty years so the sensation in my feet isn’t as good as what it used to be so navigating my footing on the ice could be a problem,” he explained.“And the Dupuytren’s contracture which affects my hands means can’t make them flat. So if I do fall over, although I’m planning not to, it means I may have trouble getting up.”