Every Sunday evening they thrill millions of viewers, gliding across the ice and throwing themselves into daring lifts.

Actress Hayley Tamaddon, of Pudsey, is relishing every moment of her time on ITV’s hit show Dancing On Ice. The former Emmerdale star is a hot favourite to win the show, after wowing the judging panel with spectacular routines and thrilling moves – not least being the first of the series to pull off the dreaded ‘headbanger’ lift.

I met Hayley and her professional skating partner Daniel Whiston as they limbered up at Bradford Ice Arena before taking to the rink to practise their latest routine.

I’d previously interviewed Dan in 2007 when he was practising at the Bradford rink with another former Emmerdale actress, Emily Symons, his Dancing On Ice celebrity partner at the time.

I joke with Daniel that there must be something about Emmerdale. Hayley starred in Emmerdale as Delilah Dingle, and Daniel’s other celebrity skating partners, Roxanne Pallett and Linda Lusardi, were also in the Yorkshire soap.

With Hayley, Daniel shares the same kind of on-rink chemistry he had with his first Dancing On Ice partner, Leeds actress Gaynor Faye.

But unlike other celebrity skaters and their professional partners, Hayley and Daniel didn’t have to get to know each other as part of the Dancing On Ice process. They have been friends for 20 years.

“Five minutes after waking up this morning my phone rang. It was Daniel asking if I could do his washing!” laughs Hayley.

Daniel chips in: “The washing machine had broken!”

The two were delighted to be paired up. Hayley had been training for a month before she was joined by Daniel, then they trained together for a further three months prior to the series.

Hayley, who starred in the 2008/2009 Alhambra panto, Cinderella, opposite Billy Pearce, hadn’t had any skating lessons before taking part in Dancing On Ice. She says the only time she had pulled on a pair of skates was to accompany her pals on temporary ice rinks at Christmas.

“I have never had any professional training and I’d never skated with Daniel,” she says. “The theatre school where I used to train as a child in Blackpool was in the same building as the ice rink and I’d go and watch Daniel skate. We got chatting one day and became friends.”

Skating out with Daniel for her debut performance, she looked confident and comfortable on the ice, and the judges were clearly impressed with her progress in the first week.

Hayley is now one of the favourites to win the show. Seeing her and Daniel bending and stretching almost immediately after dropping their bags down at Bradford’s Ice Arena where they’re about to pull on their skates to practise that week’s required element for the live TV show, I can sense their commitment and determination.

Previous celebrities have spoken about the fitness benefits of training for the competition, and say ice skating is great for keeping in shape.

“Training with Daniel, we don’t just do the routine, we do the build up beforehand. I don’t need any extra exercise,” says Hayley.

She was prepared for the hard work. “I knew it was going to be tough, but if you love something and you want to do something you will put 100 per cent into it,” she says. “There’s no point doing a show like this if you’re not expecting it to be hard work. It has been hard since day one, and when you get with your partner it is doubly hard because you have the routines to learn.”

I ask how they cope with the pressure of training for several hours each day then skating on live television. “Lots of energy drinks!” laughs Daniel. “We are practising every day, every hour we can get for as long for as it needs. We don’t get off until the work is done.” Adds Hayley: “We have the same work ethic.”

She praises Bradford Ice Arena staff for their support. “We are really lucky to be in this rink and they are really looking after us here.”

Since Dancing On Ice began five years ago, Bradford’s rink has been regularly used by celebrity contestants and their professional partners.

Most of those who have skated here have Bradford connections. Wibsey actor Chris Fountain trained here, as did former football star Lee Sharpe, who spent some of his career at Bradford City Football Club. Gareth Gates, from East Bowling, didn’t train in Bradford, but competed in the 2008 series against fellow Bradford boy Chris Fountain. Originally from Blackpool, Hayley bought a property in Pudsey when she started working on Emmerdale. “I class Pudsey as my home,” she says.

When he isn’t whisking celebrities around the ice, Daniel teaches skating and helps his father out in his carpet business. “That keeps my feet firmly on carpet!” he smiles.

He and Hayley clearly love taking part in the hugely-popular show. “It’s amazing how many people watch it and enjoy it and have got really into it,” says Hayley.

“I’ve got myself on Twitter and everybody tweets me to see how everything is going.”