Ryan Thomas shares heartwarming family reason he took Dancing on Ice gig

ok.co.uk:

For some, joining a show like Dancing On Ice can take some serious consideration, especially the time away from family. But former soap star Ryan Thomas, 39, has his daughter Scarlett to thank for the gig. “It was fate,” says Ryan, who shares Scarlett with his ex, Coronation Street’s Tina O’Brien. “The week before I got the phone call, my 15-year-old daughter out of the blue said to me, ‘Dad, will you do Dancing On Ice?’ It was so random and I just said, ‘Maybe one day.’ A week later I got the phone call!

I immediately said yes.” With so many soap actors like Corrie’s Sally Dynevor and Brooke Vincent having competed, Ryan is under pressure to impress.

But the star, who played Jason Grimshaw on the ITV soap from 2000 until 2016, claims he is also using that to his advantage. “I’ve been going on the ice with Chris Fountain [who played Justin Burton in Hollyoaks and placed second in the 2008 series of Dancing On Ice], my best friend who set the bar high,” reveals Ryan. “He’s been at my house in the living room holding my hand doing dance routines, then my partner walks in and says, ‘What the hell are you both doing?’ He’s my secret weapon!” Ryan’s brother Adam, who played Adam Barton in Emmerdale, appeared in the most recent series of Strictly Come Dancing.

Did Ryan take anything from his journey? “What I’ve learnt is persistence,” says Ryan. “Putting yourself out of your comfort zone isn’t necessarily a comfortable place to be, but he’s been nothing but positive about his experience on Strictly.