Rebekah Vardy has said she was "petrified" to skate again after she injured her professional partner so badly during Dancing On Ice rehearsals that he had to go to hospital.
The 38-year-old, who is married to Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy, who is teamed-up with Andy Buchanan, admits it was a "horrific experience" when her blade sliced his face.
Sequins, skates, smiles... our couples are ready to make their ice dancing debuts! 🤩 #DancingOnIce pic.twitter.com/w9cqLQ8spP
— Dancing on Ice (@dancingonice) January 12, 2021
She said: "I actually thought he was messing around to begin with, because he does like a bit of a joke and he likes to rib me quite a bit, and we were doing a move and the last thing he said to me was 'Don't kick me in the face.’
"I was like ‘Why would you say that? You are just going to jinx us!’
"So we did what we were doing and he nearly dropped me and I was like ‘Oh sh*t what has gone on?’ And I looked at him and he was holding his face and I said ‘Stop messing about’ and I laughed, and then he removed his hand from his face and there was blood everywhere."
Put your hands together for our class of 2021! 🎉 #DancingOnIce pic.twitter.com/nM7b6kLsMO
— Dancing on Ice (@dancingonice) January 12, 2021
Vardy continued: "I hate the sight of blood, five kids and I can’t deal with blood, and I nearly passed out.
"And it wasn’t good, I felt horrific, and all he was worrying about is our show and tell the following day and I was like ‘How are you even thinking about skating? I’m worried about your face!’
"But I think it just shows what we are doing is really dangerous and you’ve got to be super careful. But I don’t go into training sessions thinking am I going to fall because if you start thinking about falling, you’re going to deck it."
The first six couples taking to the ice are...
— Dancing on Ice (@dancingonice) January 13, 2021
❄️ @JDonOfficial & @AlexandraLukasz
❄️ @denise_vanouten & @TheMattEvers
❄️ @RufusHound & @IceJohnstone
❄️ @RebekahVardy & @AndyBuchananTV
❄️ @JoeWarrenPlant & @TheVanessaBauer
❄️ @LadyLeshurr & @BrendynHatfield#DancingOnIce pic.twitter.com/QBBsOONxAu
She continued: "He was so sympathetic, he was more worried about me than himself and he kept saying ‘It wasn’t your fault, it wasn’t your fault’ and as much as they want to say it’s not your fault, you totally know it was your fault because if you’ve done it right it would never have happened.
"But we have been doing this for a few months, not years and years, so accidents are going to happen, it’s just how you bounce back from them."
"I was petrified (to go back on the ice), the very next day after I injured him we had our show and tell in front of all the coaches and that was the first time we ran our routine in front of people and I felt so sick.
"I didn’t even think I would be able to do it, but with that you just have to get straight back out there, straight back on it because if you don’t, fear will just overcome everything that you’ve achieved so far and it will make everything that you’ve done before worthless."
More dazzling ice dancing duos, anyone? We can't wait to see our couples in action 👏 #DancingOnIce pic.twitter.com/VbQTEhXXzc
— Dancing on Ice (@dancingonice) January 12, 2021
Buchanan is not the only professional skater to suffer an injury ahead of the new series of the ITV show.
Graham Bell’s partner Yebin Mok’s leg was lacerated by an ice blade during rehearsals.
The Olympic skier will no longer compete in the first episode of the series and will dance alone in the group number.
When he does take to the ice next weekend he will partner Karina Manta, who is stepping in for Mok.
After an accident in training on Monday, Yebin unfortunately needs to take time off the ice to recuperate and heal.
— Dancing on Ice (@dancingonice) January 13, 2021
We're wishing her a speedy recovery and hope to see her back in action soon ❤️ #DancingOnIce pic.twitter.com/1tBVLDcNFE
Dancing On Ice begins on ITV on Saturday.
