Matt Evers: Gemma was told she could leave Dancing On Ice early

16 January 2019

Gemma Collins' 'Dancing On Ice' professional partner Matt Evers has defended her from claims she left the show 15 minutes early on Sunday night (13.01.19) because she was "bored" and has claimed she was told she could go by a member of the stage management team.

Gemma Collins and Matt Evers

The 'TOWIE' star was accused of unprofessionalism by 'Dancing On Ice' host Holly Willoughby on 'This Morning' this week after the daytime show's backstage reporter Kem Cetinay claimed that The GC left before the group skate on the live show because she'd had enough.

Holly's comments upset Gemma greatly and now her partner on the ice Matt, 42, has leapt to her defence insisting she was instructed by a member of the backstage team on the ITV programme that she was free to go after her car arrived to take her home.

Appearing on 'Lorraine' on Wednesday morning (16.01.19), Matt said: "We weren't performing a competition number this Sunday, we just had the group number, and after the group number she thought she was free to go. That was just a miscommunication between stage management, her and everything. She got a text from her car that had said your car has arrived, and she asked somebody - whom I'm not sure - and they were like, 'Yeah, you're finished.' "

Matt also laughed off reports that Gemma, 37, had a nap during the rehearsals before the live show.

He stated: "Gemma did not have a nap. Look, we all want to take a nap on Sundays, I wish I could have a nap on Sundays. we're there all day Saturdays for rehearsals we're there first thing on Sunday, we do camera blocking all morning, then we do a dress rehearsal all afternoon."

Matt insists Gemma is working really hard to master her next "fantastic routine" and the pair have a double training session planned for today to get everything right on the rink.

He said: "She's coming into the rink today, we have a double session planned, we had Tuesday off so I haven't seen her yet this week. But we have a fantastic routine planned for her."