A BRADFORD-born TV presenter says she is 'so flipping excited' to start competing in a celebrity ice skating show.

Ria Hebden, entertainment presenter on ITV's Lorraine, is one of the celebrity contestants on Dancing on Ice, which starts this weekend.

She will be competing in the primetime showcase alongside skating professional Lukasz Rozycki.

Ria tweeted: "It's almost time! Join Lukasz Rozycki and I as we make our Dancing On Ice debut this Sunday, January 16 at 6.30pm on ITV. So flipping excited!!"

 

The broadcaster also has her own production company Carpe Diem Media Production company which produces her digital talk show: Wonder Women TV.

She made the announcement on Lorraine in October last year to the show's host Lorraine Kelly and fashion presenter Mark Heyes. Ria has since been in training on the ice ready for her on-screen competition debut this weekend.

Ria previously told Lorraine that she used to go to Bradford Ice Rink as a child with her grandparents.

She also took over as co-presenter on ITV's All Around Britain, alongside Alex Beresford and Ria has also previously been a reporter and co-host on BBC One's Sunday Morning Live.

Ria, 39, will take part in the next series of ITV hit Dancing on Ice, joining Olympic BMX rider Kye Whyte, Coronation Street star Sally Dynevor, Happy Mondays dancer Bez, Paralympian Stef Reid, Love Island’s Liberty Poole, rugby star Ben Foden, Paul Gascoigne’s son Regan Gascoigne, pop star Rachel Stevens and former Strictly Come Dancing professional dancer Brendan Cole.

 

The 14th series of the popular show will again be hosted by This Morning's Philip Schofield and Holly Willoughby.

Oti Mabuse, a professional dancer on Strictly Come Dancing, is joining Dancing on Ice as a new judge, replacing John Barrowman.

Alongside Mabuse will be judges Ashley Banjo, Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean.

Several celebrities from previous series of Dancing on Ice have trained at Bradford Ice Arena, including Emmerdale star Matthew Wolfenden, Wibsey actor Chris Fountain, former Bradford City player Lee Sharpe and Emily Symons, who was in Emmerdale and Australian soap Home and Away.

Former Emmerdale and Coronation Street actress Hayley Tamaddon dazzled millions of viewers with her skating skills in 2010, when she and professional partner Daniel Whiston were crowned winners of the fifth series of Dancing on Ice that year. The pair trained and perfected their routines at Bradford Ice Arena.

The series of Dancing On Ice starts on ITV at 6.30pm on Sunday, January 16.