Dame Sarah Storey calls for Dancing on Ice to return
Paralympic great Dame Sarah Storey was forced to pull out of this year's series of 'Dancing on Ice' after she broke her ankle, but she wants the ITV skating competition to return so she can get her chance to do the programme before she gets older.
Dame Sarah Storey hopes 'Dancing on Ice' returns so she can do the show before getting older.
The 19-time Paralympic gold medallist and her professional skating partner, Sylvain Longchambon, 44, were forced to quit competing in the now paused ITV reality show after she broke her ankle during training.
Sarah was "gutted" that her experience ended before the 2025 series began, but despite her chances of doing the show now seemingly unlikely, the star is hoping bosses will "consider" her in a line-up if 'Dancing on Ice' returned.
Speaking exclusively to BANG Showbiz at the FEVO Sport Industry Awards 2025 at Evolution London last Thursday (15.05.25), Sarah, 47, said: "The show has been paused, which means it could come back in the future. I wouldn’t be able to go next year, anyway; I need to have the metal work out of my ankle in September.
"So, for me, the hope is that it does come back. And, clearly, I was really inspired by Steve Redgrave and Michaela Strachan. They were older than me and did incredibly well.
"So, there’s a little bit of time left if the show does come back. Hopefully, they’ll consider me in the line-up."
Sarah - who has competed in swimming and cycling at nine editions of the Paralympic Games since Barcelona 1992 and has hinted at a return in Los Angeles 2028 - "stumbled" and "fell over" at the "end of the fourth week" training with Sylvain, but after being in recovery for months, she is now out running again.
Sarah said: "I was so gutted. I'd had three weeks of solo skating lessons. I spent four weeks training with my professional partner, Sylvain Longchambon, and we had a really good rapport and trained well together.
"And then it was just at the end of that fourth week, just a mishap. I just stumbled and fell over, and that was my ankle gone. So, it’s alright, I’m still in trainers, though. I haven’t had the all-clear to wear heels again, yet. But I’m back running, and I’ve got an amazing physio team behind me, so I’m very fortunate."
Even though she is running again, Sarah has not got back on her bike because of some "other surgery connected to another injury".
Asked if she is looking to represent ParalympicsGB in Los Angeles in 2028, Sarah - who was born without a functioning left hand after her arm became entangled in the umbilical cord in the womb, resulting in the hand not developing properly - said: "Well, that would be a dream.
"I’m just recovering from a broken ankle. I’ve had some other surgery connected to another injury. So, I’m not back on my bike just yet. So, hopefully, this weekend, I’ll get the all-clear to start building back up again, but it’ll be back to square one."
