Dancing on Ice star Alex Murphy was 'scared to sleep alone' after stroke trauma
Former Dancing on Ice professional Alex Murphy has recalled her fear of sleeping alone after suffering a stroke at 24, revealing a co-star secretly shared her bed during the Dutch version of the show.
Alex Murphy felt scared to sleep alone after suffering a stroke in her 20s.
The former Dancing on Ice pro skater, 37, had a stroke at the age of 24 while working in Tenerife, and after undergoing keyhole heart surgery she headed to the Netherlands to take part in the Dutch version of Dancing on Ice.
Alex was concerned about telling show bosses about her stroke, but she confided in a female co-star who slept beside her each night for comfort.
Speaking on an upcoming episode of the Bedside Manners podcast, she said: "I wasn’t telling anybody what had happened.
"I didn’t want anyone to know, because I didn’t want people to not hire me. It’s a competitive world.
"I made friends with one of the girls that was also on the show with me... and [I told her] I’m just a little bit nervous about sleeping... I left my hotel room open, and every night she came in and slept in my bed with me.
"She was a good friend - to this day still."
Just months after the medical incident and subsequent surgery, Alex won the Dutch version of Dancing on Ice.
She explained: "Because of what had happened - I know it sounds crazy - I just knew I was going to win.
"I said to myself, 'There’s no way that God put me here and isn’t going to let me win this, he’s going to give me a break.' "
After suffering a stroke, Alex couldn't write her own name and didn't know what her parents' names were.
She said: "I couldn’t put anything together, and it took a few days for that to come back."
Alex previously opened up about suffering a stroke, which occurred while she was skating on a cruise ship in Tenerife.
Speaking in 2021 to Metro, she said: "I knew something was wrong the moment I stepped off the ice and tried to hang up my costume.
"I couldn’t lift my right arm - I thought that’s funny - then I couldn’t untie my skates or feel my foot.
"I had no idea what it was and felt like I was having a weird out of body experience. I started banging my hands on the sink to see if I could put life into them.
"I looked in mirror and didn’t recognise myself - I didn’t know I was Alex."
