Gemma Collins has said she lost two-and-a-half stone during her stint on Dancing On Ice.
The reality TV star was booted from the ITV programme on Sunday evening after ending up in the skate-off for the first time, where she went head-to-head with Ryan Sidebottom.
She told ITV’s This Morning: “I will 100% keep up with the fitness, I’m saying this on national TV because I feel so much better. I can just move a lot more. I can do my shoes up.
It's been an incredible journey for @missgemcollins and @TheMattEvers, but now it's time to say a big goodbye to these two 💕 #DancingOnIce pic.twitter.com/wohiXwy5bM
— Dancing On Ice (@dancingonice) February 10, 2019
“I’ll be honest, I had about three tyres round my middle. They have gone! [But] I’m still a bigger girl. When I got on the scales I was shocked, because I have actually lost two-and-a-half stone, and the inches as well.
“But it never goes off my face, I think I need some sort of lifting surgery here which is unfortunate!
“I’m in a high street store item of clothing today, a shop that I could never shop in for a lot of years, and that’s what’s been so exciting about it.
SPOTTED: The GC channels DC3 with one fierce routine! #DancingOnIce @missgemcollins @TheMattEvers pic.twitter.com/61O6osGkIf
— Dancing On Ice (@dancingonice) February 10, 2019
“But just feeling fit, walking up the stairs and being OK. I don’t know what form of exercise I’m going to do yet. I might take to the rink once a week… but I want to continue with my fitness.
“When I first got on the ice I used to do 10 minutes and sit down, 10 minutes and sit down and that was a massive eye-opener to me. I thought I can’t live my life, being this… I didn’t realise how unfit I was.”
Collins also spoke about her clash with judge Jason Gardiner, saying she felt she had to stand up for herself on behalf of other women.
She said: “I did stand my ground with Jason because there are girls out there who are bigger who don’t feel confident going to a gym or starting some form of exercise.
REHEARSAL CAM: @missgemcollins and @TheMattEvers definitely won't be giving up any time soon. They're survivors after all… 😉💅 #DancingOnIce pic.twitter.com/n0kb5bqOKL
— Dancing On Ice (@dancingonice) February 10, 2019
“I had to show people, do you know what? It is hard, but I’m going to get through this.
“He’s only there to do his job. I was fine with what he was saying about my skating. But I didn’t like it when he body-shamed me and because that hurt me and I felt embarrassed that’s why I attacked back.
“When he went, ‘we can’t lift you’, [I thought] we know that Jason… I would love to have been spun around for a count of eight. But unfortunately I had to skate for all my counts of eight. I was exhausted at the end of it. I was breathless, my legs are killing me but it’s done me good as well.
“People can see I gave it a go. I am a bigger girl, I couldn’t do all the moves the others could do.”
She admitted she never felt the same on the ice after she took a tumble, saying: “I’ve got a six-month recovery on my knees. When I spoke to the physio, if you touch them they are boiling hot.
“She said to me it’s going to take six months for them to start healing. I kept falling and let’s be fair I’m not the lightest person… but I had a really good time.”
She also dismissed claims she faked the fall, saying: “Come on, no one would want to fake that. The pain I was in, I was crying for days. I’m still in pain now.
“As they say it’s the knocks that make you stronger and I certainly took a lot on the show.”