ITV has unveiled the celebrity line-up for The Real Full Monty On Ice, including former Woman’s Hour presenter Dame Jenni Murray.
The seasonal special sees a series of stars strip off and take to the rink to perform a routine to raise awareness about cancers which affect intimate areas of the body.
Joining Dame Jenni will be model Linda Lusardi, soap star Jamie Lomas and Love Island contestant Chris Hughes.
Revealed: ITV has unveiled their celebrity line-up for The Real Full Monty On Ice, including former Woman’s Hour presenter Dame Jenni Murray
Former rugby player Gareth Thomas will also take on the challange, alongside Diversity dancer Perri Kiely, actress Hayley Tamaddon, Love Island’s Shaughna Phillips and This Morning’s Zoe Williams.
Presented by Dancing On Ice judge Ashley Banjo, who also took part in The Real Full Monty two years ago.
Coleen Nolan will co-host, having taken part in the female version in the past. Pro dancers will also join the rink to skate during the routines.
The programme will air across two 90-minute specials over the Christmas season.
Of the show, Ashley 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.
Taking part: Linda Lusardi has been revealed as one of the stars taking part in this year’s The Real Full Monty On Ice to raise cancer awareness
Raising awareness: Love Island contestant Chris Hughes will also take to the rink
‘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?’
Coleen 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 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 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!’
Each of the contestants has a personal link to cancer, with coronavirus survivor Linda having her own scare in 2016.
Four years ago Linda was told she had a 9.5cm tumour on the wall of her womb after undergoing an MRI scan.
However the growth was non-life threatening, with doctors telling the former Page 3 girl that the tumour was caused by hormonal changes.
Linda decided to have a full hysterectomy as medics told her the tumour could get bigger.
Also taking part in The Real Full Monty is actress Hayley Tamaddon, Love Island’s Shaughna Phillips and This Morning’s Zoe Williams as well as former Woman’s Hour presenter Dame Jenni Murray.
![Important cause: Each of the stars has a personal link to cancer, with coronavirus survivor Linda having her own scare in 2016 [pictured discussing her COVID-19 battle this year]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2020/10/19/01/34551626-8853721-image-a-175_1603067781067.jpg)
Important cause: Each of the stars has a personal link to cancer, with coronavirus survivor Linda having her own scare in 2016 [pictured discussing her COVID-19 battle this year]
While former rugby player Gareth Thomas and Diversity’s Perri Kiely will make up numbers in the mens show.
Professional skaters from Dancing On Ice will also join the celebrities to perform in the programme, which is being presented by Ashley Banjo and Coleen Nolan.
Coleen 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 the show is incredible, so here we go again!
‘This year is more personal than ever for me as two of my amazing sisters [Anne and Linda] are battling cancer once more.
Personal: Coleen Nolan will host the show, with the TV presenter having lost her sister Bernie to cancer. Two more Nolan sisters – Anne and Linda – are also currently battling the disease
‘I’m inspired by them and everyone I meet who’s 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!’
The programme will air across two 90-minute specials over the festive period.
It comes after Linda revealed how she was coping with the impact of having had coronavirus and said her hair had started to fall out.
Ordeal: Former page 3 girl Linda battled coronavirus for weeks, admitting she felt her ‘organs were failing’ when the illness was at its worst
Battling: On March 23, Linda posted an image from her hospital bed on Instagram, before she claimed she was left at ‘death’s door’ during her illness
The star also revealed her husband Sam, 51, who was hospitalised at the same time as her with the virus, was suffering from heart palpitations.
The former Page 3 girl made a miracle recovery despite being ‘at death’s door’ but she still isn’t fully back to normal.
She told The Sun in August: ‘Sam’s had heart palpitations quite badly, and he’s under a cardiologist at the moment. They can’t see anything specifically wrong.
‘I’ve had some hair loss which has been a bit distressing. I still haven’t got the energy I had before although I’m getting there. Every week’s a bit better.’
Linda was hospitalised for 10 days and required oxygen and was attached to a drip during her terrifying ordeal.
The Dancing on Ice star suffered from severe chest pain, fever and vomiting and at times hoped she would not wake up.
Linda’s children, Lucy, 24, and Jack, 21, have also struggled with the family’s double scare.
She said: ‘The mental trauma of it has touched us all even though it was me who was sick. My children had to deal with the fact they might lose both of us and then me, and the mental effect it’s had on us has been very traumatic really.’
The family has opted against undergoing counselling with the NHS and are trying to support each other for the time being.