Dancing on Ice returned last weekend for its 15th series with a fresh batch of famous faces taking to the ice. The ITV dancing competition, hosted by Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield, sees eleven celebrities showing off their skating prowess alongside their professional partners.
EastEnders icon Patsy Palmer, who played the BBC soap's fiesty Bianca Jackson, was one of the celebrity competitors making their debut on the ice paired with Matt Evers. Patsy sparkled in a metaliic pink dress as the pair glided across the ice to the Black Box classic Ride on Time.
As she took to the couch with hosts Alex Jones and Roman Kemp in a shimmering multi-coloured dress, it was mentioned that Patsy is 50. "I can't believe you're 50, that's ridiculous," remarked Alex.
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And Patsy said she couldn't believe it herself. "I woke up and was like 'this is not real, can someone just like tell me that I'm not 50.' It was very odd," she said. And she added: "It's a weird age to turn when you feel 25."
Patsy said about joining the Dancing on Ice line-up to mark turning 50: "They asked me to do it and everything I have to do has to have sparkle and fun to it."
And her skating partner Matt, 46, revealed that they had been asking her to sign-up since the series reboot five years ago. Over on Twitter fans couldn't believe what they were hearing.
@Antondub said: "#TheOneShow Patsy Palmer is 50....looks more like 25 #BBC1." And @SamanthaMalin asked: "How is Patsy Palmer 50?"
Patsy, who was born with the name Julie Harris, began her acting career early after her mum, Pat Harris, spotted her talent and encouraged her to go to Anna Scher's Theatre school in London. It there that Julie discovered there was another accomplished actress with the name Julie Harris, so she wanted to change her name. Patsy took her mum's maiden name 'Palmer' and changed her first name to her mum's nickname, Patsy.
At just six years old, Patsy made her stage debut appearing in a West End production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat. She then made her on-screen debut in TV programme The Gentle Touch in 1984 before going on to star in the BBC's children's drama Grange Hill for three years as well as having a small role in The Bill.
Her career really took off when she joined the cast of BBC's EastEnders back in 1993. Her role as Bianca earned her the British Soap Award for Best Actress, and her on-off relationship with Ricky Butcher was a staple of the soap for many years.
Patsy starred in EastEnders from 1993 to 1999 after leaving to spend more time with her family and concentrate on other projects. In 2002 she returned to her role for a two-part hour-long special programme, EastEnders: Ricky and Bianca, which was filmed in Manchester and reunited Bianca and Ricky for the first time in more than two years.
The Bianca actress rejoined the soap full-time six years later in 2008, but in 2014 she announced that she was leaving the show once again. Patsy reprised the role again for a short stint in 2019 and hasn't returned to the show since.
Since 2012 Patsy has been DJing and after moving with her family to Malibu, California in April 2014, she has pursued a career as a DJ. Patsy set up her own popular club night, GODMUTHAS, at Malibu's Soho House, where she takes to the decks. She's also played at many private parties in Malibu, LA and in clubs in Ibiza and Beverly Hills.
Dancing on Ice is not the first TV contest Patsy has took part in. During her break from EastEnders in 2005, Patsy was a contestant on series three of BBC's Strictly Come Dancing and came fifth place with her partner Anton Du Beke.
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