Four out of the 16 skaters are set to leave the show in the first two weeks of Dancing on Ice 2011.

This newlook format means that North-East star Denise Welch feels under pressure. At 52, the skater partnered by Matt Evers, is the second oldest contestant and fears being voted off early.

How is your training going?

I love it. I mean I have questioned my sanity many times over the last few weeks, like my life isn’t busy enough without having to fit skating in on most days. Obviously I can’t do it every day because I have a family and I have a job, so I don’t know how I’m doing it. I love my skating partner Matt and that’s making it all worth while. It’s good days and bad days, it’s two steps forward and one step back so it’s frustrating but I love it and I’m learning how to skate. I’ve just got to learn to be competitive with myself and not with anybody else.

When was the last time you skated before your training started?

I skated when I was 11, I used to go to Whitley Bay ice rink with my friends on a Saturday morning, but we just used to skate around and muck about, so it’s not like riding a bike it didn’t come flooding back that feeling of being on the ice.

Would you say the skating is keeping you fit?

It’s very good I’ve lost nearly a stone and I’m firming my bum, it’s the most exercise I’ve ever done consistently.

Because I am with Matt we are laughing a lot also, so that’s great therapy.

Is skating easier or harder than you thought?

It’s as hard as I thought it would be.

I never thought it would be easy at all. As I have several friends who have done the show the reason why they convinced me to do it was because of the whole experience.

Who do you think is your main rival?

I’ve only seen little bits of Steve (Arnold) and Jennifer (Metcalfe), I can’t help sneak a peek. Jennifer is good and I’ve seen a couple at Slough and you think ‘oh God I’m not doing that’ and Matt’s told me off for that as we just need to concentrate on us and how we are doing and on our improvement.

How’s Matt as your skating partner?

He is firm but fair but he realises to get me going I have to be motivated by a sense of humour rather than a iron rod. I am damn sure when it comes nearer the time and if I’m mucking about then he will you know. I need to be patted on the back with one hand and kicked up the bum with the other and he has got the balance just right with me.

What are looking forward to the most?

Getting through the first week. To be honest I am actually looking forward to getting through the show and tell as people have said sometimes that’s the scariest thing because it’s the first time you’ve skated in front of anybody outside your little training group and the first time you have certainly skated in front of the other competitors and that is what I am really nervous about, so I am looking forward to getting that done. Obviously I’m a girl so I’m looking forward to the clothes but I just don’t want my nerves to get the better of me. I know I will have adrenaline and I know I will have nerves but I don’t want my nerves to take over. I do get nervous and of course you are completely out of your comfort zone in the environment but that’s part of what’s exciting as well and it’s live.

What are you dreading?

I’m dreading forgetting my routine like I would forget my lines, I dreading falling. I’m dreading letting Matt down. I am dreading my children being mortified with embarrassment, I am just dreading all those things and I am just nervous about it.

What do your family and friends think?

I think they are excited now, they were very concerned at the beginning they thought I was completely mad. My husband Tim didn’t want to get the three in the morning phone calls with me crying down the phone saying why did you let me do this? I think I’m the second oldest women this series and one of the oldest to do Dancing on Ice so from that point of view you are more aware that if you fall and hurt yourself it’s going to take you longer to mend, therefore you skate with more caution than when your young, you’re stiffer when your older and also you’re stiffer because you’re more nervous about falling.

Who was your favourite skater from last year, have you watched DOI before?

Obviously Gaynor (Faye) is one of my best friends so I’ve got to say Gaynor and the fact she was the forerunner and considering she was in the bottom two on the first week and then went on to win it was just amazing.

I thought Suzanne (Shaw) was such a beautiful skater and she had Matt of course.

What do you think of the outfits you’ll wear on the ice?

It’s just fantastic as long as I don’t look like mutton dressed as lamb, but it’s every girls dream. I am sure my mum wanted a boy because I always felt I used to look like a boy when I was young so I never really had those sticky out party dresses so I have waited a long time for them so my time has come.

■ Dancing On Ice, ITV1, 6.30pm