Linda Robson has been given a new lease of life following her battle with alcoholism and depression – but has revealed she won’t be signing up for the next series of Dancing on Ice
Linda Robson has turned down a lucrative offer to join Dancing on Ice, despite recently revealing her rejuvenated zest for life following personal battles with alcoholism and severe depression. She even gave a three word statement.
The 66 year old Loose Women star, who has been candid about her struggles throughout her extensive career in acting and presenting, was tempted by a big-money deal to skate onto the show’s 2025 series. However, Linda’s children were firmly against the idea, with the Daily Star reporting her as saying: “I’ve just been asked to do Dancing on Ice, but I said no. My kids wouldn’t let me do it.”
She added: “They said, ‘No mum, you’re 66, you can’t do it’.” Reflecting on her decision, Linda expressed relief at heeding her children’s advice, fearing injury on the ice: “They’re right to say I shouldn’t do it. I can’t dance and I can’t ice skate either.”
Linda Robson stars on Loose Women regularly (
Image:
Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
She continued: “I would end up breaking my leg,” before adding a three-word statement of: “Skating is dangerous!” Despite acknowledging her own limitations, she noted Joe Swash’s victory on the show despite his initial lack of grace: “Joe Swash won it even though he’s got two left feet, but he did improve and the public love him.”
Robson isn’t a stranger to reality TV, having appeared on Celebs on the Farm and Celebrity Coach Trip. Embracing new challenges, she remarked: “Now I’m 66 I’ve been trying things I’ve never done before.”
She emphasised her openness to new experiences: “I’m trying not to turn something down because it’s different.” Her adventurous spirit marks a significant turnaround from the time she struggled with depression, recalling a particularly emotional moment during the recording of her autobiography’s audiobook when discussing her suicide watch experience brought her to tears.
Linda revealed: “The depression and the suicide watch I was on was really hard, especially when I recorded the audio. I had to stop because I was crying my eyes out. They told me to go and sit down and have a nice cup of tea and then come back afterwards and I did.”
She’s triumphantly shaken off her dark days and is celebrating four years of sobriety, though she faced a tough battle with depression in 2018 that led to a breakdown and rehab stint.
This comes after it was reported that ITV are said to be fearful amid the current Strictly Come Dancing scandals, with them concerned over receiving similar complaints coming their way after Michael Barrymore claimed Dancing on Ice has the “same abusive behaviour” as Strictly. The 72-year-old appeared on the ITV show in 2020, with him now claiming he witnessed “abuse”, with him wondering why DOI has not come “under fire” like Strictly.
