She's had the Dancing On Ice judges purring, but Pussycat Doll Kimberly Wyatt says the best is yet to come as she vows: “I’m ready to turn up the heat!”
The sultry singer has been sitting at the top of the leaderboard after coming out fighting in the ITV competition.
And despite regularly picking up the highest scores of the series, the 40-year-old has warned her rivals that they haven’t seen anything yet.
“You know, I’m ready to turn up the heat and bring out the performer I know I can be on the ice!” she smiles.
“I came into this really wanting to bring the fire, but I realised the fire was going to take me to my bum every single time on the ice.
“So I started soft, then every week I’m just trying to turn up the heat ever so slightly. So hopefully, we can get to that point of fierceness!”
The mum of three and her pro partner Mark Hanretty have set the contest on fire since week one.
They opened movie week with a spectacular routine from The Greatest Showman, earning high praise from the judges. Olympic legend Christopher Dean told her: “You bring so much commitment out there, you bring 100%. You are the greatest show-woman.”
And she dazzled in week four with a powerful Argentine Tango that bagged her 37.5 points from the panel.
Despite the bravado, Kimberly admits she does struggle with her nerves backstage as she prepares to skate live.
She explains: “You really have to go into a little bit of warrior mode and talk yourself into it.
“It’s nerve-racking. I’ve never had to regulate my breathing in such a way like the deep breaths into the ribs. You have to keep calm. Find your Zen.
“So trying not to take that on as well as battle with your own feelings as well as wanting to just do your absolute best – it’s a lot to deal with.”
Tonight, fans will see Kimberly and Mark take on Don’t Rain On My Parade from the stage show Funny Girl during musicals week.
While it’s not a sexy number like her femme fatale routine that left fans hot under the collar last weekend, the performer is gong to have to rely on her partnership to get her through another week.
Many would think her time in one of the sexiest girlbands on the planet would make it easy to show off her raunchy side and get to grips with Mark on the ice.
But Kimberly says she’s found it hard getting up close and personal with a man she’s only just got to know.
“It’s tough because people know me as a Pussycat Doll and being a doll is all about owning your space, owning your sensuality,” she says.
“It’s all about celebrating who you are and what you bring to the stage and being able to play the punk dog character, which is quite fierce. I love being a Pussycat Doll, but this is a different thing and you are sharing space with someone you barely know.
“The wonderful thing is that Mark is just brilliant on the ice. The way he moves his body and the way he can dance, I have so much respect for.
“I’m constantly just trying to reach that level he is at.”
Her competitive spirit has sparked speculation that she’s lost the support of the other celebrities.
There are rumours of rivals freezing her out or distancing themselves from her behind the scenes, with insiders claiming she is a diva.
Kimberly insists she wants everyone to do well: “I can’t deny that I am a very competitive person but it’s not necessarily to the detriment of my competitors. There’s nothing more I love than watching everybody go and smash it. It really makes me excited.
“I love seeing people shine. It’s part of what really makes my heart sing.
“Ultimately, we’re all here to put on a great show.”
So are backstage rivalries bubbling behind the scenes?
“No,” she replies firmly. “It’s such a scary experience. I feel like we have such a brilliant cast and the saving grace is knowing that however you feel, somebody else must be feeling pretty much the exact same way.
“So if anything, it’s just nice to know that you’re not in it alone. Everybody’s going through their own nerves and adrenaline and different things.
“You just kind of learn when and where to kind of interject or keep your space and just allow everybody to have their own experience and just be as much of a support as you can.
“Bez always shoots me a sweet little smile, I have a little connection with him. And Sally is just brilliant, I adore her, she’s a lovely ball of energy backstage.
“Brendan’s such a fierce competitor, but I love watching him on the ice. He, if anything, helps me raise my game.
“And Regan’s a sweetheart. I love the way his body moves.
“So yeah, it’s really good vibes backstage, I must say.”
But Kimberly wouldn’t stand a chance without her family’s support.
She married model Max Rogers, 39, in 2014 after three years together and their kids are Willow, seven, Maple Lyla, four, and Ford Senna, two.
It’s been tough juggling the show and her chaotic home life but she praised Max for picking up the slack.
“It kind of takes over your life,” she admits. “When I’m home, I’m really tired and I want to sleep and I want to lay down, and he’s just been brilliant.
“Honestly, he’s really had to take a lot of the grunt work of school runs and kids and homework and tutors and dance classes and what have you.
“I can’t give him praise enough. I have the most amazing husband.
“The thing is that when you do a show like this, it’s not just you, it’s the entire family who are involved.”
