Linda Lusardi and Chris Hughes have joined the cast of ‘The Real Full Monty on Ice’.
Linda Lusardi
The 62-year-old actress and the former ‘Love Island’ star will team up with a group of female and male celebrities respectively for two festive specials that will see them strip off on ice for the first-time ever, to help raise awareness of cancer.
Linda will join ‘Woman’s Hour’ legend Dame Jenni Murray, ‘Love Island’ star Shaughna Phillips, actress Hayley Tamaddon and ‘This Morning’ star Dr Zoe Williams.
Chris will strip alongside rugby star Gareth Thomas, actor Jamie Lomas, singer Jake Quickenden, jockey Bob Champion, and Diversity’s Perri Kiely.
The ITV show returns with two 90-minute episodes which will see the male celebrities get their kit off to raise awareness of testicular and prostate cancer, and the group of female stars will strip down for breast cancer awareness.
They will be led by Ashley Banjo and Coleen Nolan, who will put them through their paces as the stars shed their clothes on ice.
Ashley has asked former ‘Dancing On Ice’ skater Dan Whiston to create some routines, and other professional figure skaters will join the stars.
He said: “We are so proud of what this show has achieved in reminding people to check themselves for early signs of cancer and we’re going all out this year to get that message across; following lockdown, when far fewer people were getting health checks, now more than ever this message is important.
"Performing on ice will take the challenge to a whole new level - the celebrities won’t know what’s hit them! What could possibly go wrong?!”
Each celebrity has their own story about cancer that has either touched their lives or someone close to them.
Coleen returns to the show while her sisters Linda and Anne Nolan are battling cancer, making this series “more personal than ever”.
She said: "I keep saying ‘never again’ to getting my kit off but the response we get from the millions of women who feel empowered to check themselves after watching the show is incredible, so here we go again! "This year is more personal than ever for me as two of my amazing sisters are battling cancer once more. I'm inspired by them and everyone I meet who's has been touched by this dreadful disease, so I’m absolutely thrilled to be back leading a new awesome group of women, ready to bare all with me. But as this year it’s on ice, let’s just hope we don't get frostbite on our unmentionables!”
Tagged in Coleen Nolan Linda Lusardi