The family of TV personality Joey Essex said they were “crying” watching him skate in the opening episode of Dancing On Ice as he was “so serious”. The former The Only Way Is Essex reality star, 32, received the second highest score from the judges after former Olympian gymnast Nile Wilson and his partner Olivia Smart got 29.5 points on ITV’s celebrity dancing show on Sunday.
Essex received 27 points and widespread praise for his and professional skating partner Vanessa Bauer’s sophisticated ice dance – which featured a lunge and a lift. His cousin Jenny, who was in the audience, told host Holly Willoughby: “I was so emotional, I started crying and I was like, wow, because I’m used to seeing Joey being silly. And then when I saw him, like serious, and actually doing something amazing, I just got emotional. I felt so proud.”
In a video after the show, Essex said: “Thank you so much for voting for us, It was the best thing I’ve ever done, super proud of me and Vanessa.”
