Dancing On Ice welcomes Nile Wilson, a former British Olympic gymnast, to the ice tonight (January 15).
He is one of 11 celebrities set to compete on the rink during Dancing on Ice 2023.
Leeds native Nile and pro ice dancer, Spanish-born Olivia Smart, will be hoping they pirouette their way to the final.
But what is there to know about the 26-year-old athlete?
Why did Dancing On Ice star Nile Wilson retire from gymnastics?
Nile was forced to end his career after suffering a series of injuries during training. After beginning gymnastics at the age of five, he was crowned British Junior Champion in 2014.
Competing in the Olympics, he won 11 medals, including five gold medals at the Commonwealth Games.
With a glittering career ahead of him, he was the first British gymnast to win the bronze medal at the horizontal bar event at the Summer Olympics in 2016.
But when he ripped out a disc in his neck, causing nerve damage and severe pain, he had to undergo major surgery.
Read more: Nile Wilson turns shopping centre into gymnastics camp
But it was unsuccessful, and Nile announced his retirement from the sport in 2021.
In a statement at the time, he said: “I was a young boy with a dream. With a lot of work and belief, I’m proof you can achieve anything you want in life. Unfortunately, my body just couldn’t keep up and that’s okay.
“Gymnastics, you are the best sport in the world. You’re my first love, my addiction, you set me free, you gave me purpose and experiences I could not have dreamed of.
“I am now in tears writing this. Everyone that has watched, supported or found inspiration from my gymnastics, thank you so much.”
Dancing On Ice 2023: Nile Wilson’s injuries
His injuries affected him for years, with Nile eventually deciding the risk to his health outweighed the reward.
Speaking to BBC Sport, he said: “I said I would stop gymnastics when I fell out of love with the process or my body does not let me do it any more, and both are true today.
“I’ve had a rough journey with injuries since my neck surgery with my fusion in my spine and it has been complication after complication over the last two years.
“No matter how much I give, push and believe my body just goes ‘no, mate, we’re not doing this any more’ so it definitely feels the right time. I’ve made this decision and am content with it.”
Nile said that although he loved his career, an Olympic gold medal is just an object “collecting dust”.
He added: “It’s a special memory of a special moment but I want a healthy life. It’s not a wrist injury, I could’ve ended up in a wheelchair.”
Nile Wilson on signing up for Dancing On Ice
It also appears that Nile won’t be letting a little thing like a fall on the ice affect his confidence either.
He said: “I’ve been retired from sport for the last couple of years. You struggle to find the real purpose, it’s a really difficult thing.
“This is something that is learning a new skill, it’s essentially a new sport and I’m excited to feel like a professional athlete again.
“I’m going to take my training seriously. I’m a competitor so I really, really want to win! There is a fire inside of me that makes me a competitor.
“It’s going to be a really amazing experience.”
He added: “With my gymnastics background I’m body-aware and I’m really passionate about doing something on the ice that no other contestant has done before.
“I really want to shock the viewers and almost make history!”
Nile Wilson details addiction on YouTube channel
Nile admitted he has suffered with his mental health and with addiction and has opened up on his YouTube channel about his struggles.
Speaking to his followers, he explained how he has been dealing with anxiety and depression. He has also admitted he used gambling as a way to “escape reality”, before realising he was addicted.
Nile said: “My life was so crazy and intense and then when things started to blow up on YouTube, business and all of a sudden I had a lot of money. I felt like a pressure cooker and then eventually, I’d just go ‘bang’ and that would be me nipping off to the casino and uncontrollably playing roulette.”
He continued: “I think gambling is a silent killer for athletes in particular because there are no negative physiological effects, like there is no hangover.
“I could effectively be a professional athlete and a gambler because I could still go to the casino from 6pm to 10pm, I could still get my 10 hours kip, I could still eat the diet that I needed to eat, I could still get in the ice bath when I got back, I could still recover.”
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Who is Nile Wilson dating? Does he have a wife or girlfriend?
Nile has been linked with various women, including Gabrielle Paige and Emily McCarthy. Cirque Du Soleil artist Emily appears in some of his YouTube videos.
Although there is no official announcement about who his current girlfriend is, he left his followers some clues on social media.
In a reflective Instagram post looking back on 2022, Nile gives thanks to his family and girlfriend.
In two images, he has tagged Hermione Wilson, who has also commented: “Love you.”
Dancing On Ice starts on Sunday, January 15 at 6.30pm. It will be available to watch on ITV 1 and ITVX.
Are you looking forward to seeing Nile on Dancing on Ice? Leave us a comment on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix and let us know what you think.