Dancing On Ice star Graham Bell says his professional partner could be back on the rink by week four after she was injured during training.
The former Olympic skier, 55, and figure skater Yebin Mok were involved in a “freak accident” which resulted in her leg being lacerated from a stab wound caused by an ice blade.
She is sitting out the first rounds of the ITV competition while she recovers, with Bell instead performing in week two with Karina Manta.
Bell admitted he had struggled in the wake of the incident but they were now “bouncing back” as a team.
Asked about his last-minute change of partner, he said: “No, not stressful. Obviously it was very stressful when Yebin got hurt. That was very stressful and the news that she was going to be okay and be able to recover and get back into the show, provided that I stay in, is great.
“I had a really good session with Karina and we have been working together really well, and starting to gel with Karina as well. I am pretty happy.
“For the bad things that went on, I think that we are bouncing back. It felt like we were flying high, we were just a week away from week one.
Spins, twists, tricks and falls – last night's show had it all!
Relive every skate right here 👉 https://t.co/aIgICGiMBZ pic.twitter.com/ibhy4o44Hn
— Dancing on Ice (@dancingonice) January 18, 2021
“We were ready to go, everything prepared and then ‘boom’, an injury like that, and suddenly we were struggling, really struggling, to hang (on) to the show.
“I think now, more confident going into the weekend and then we can build from there and hopefully Yebin will be back for week four, if not week five, if I am still there.”
A number of contestants have suffered injuries in the run-up to the launch of the ITV programme.
Denise van Outen partially dislocated her shoulder and skated with it strapped last weekend while more recently Myleene Klass tore cartilage in her knee.