'Dancing On Ice' Contestant Gareth Thomas Will Return For The Final

DOI: Gareth Thomas Will Return For Final

Gareth Thomas has said he has recovered enough to return for the Dancing On Ice final - but he will not be competing on the show.

The former rugby player was forced to withdraw from the series on Sunday, after an ear imbalance and fear of heights left him feeling sick and dizzy from a flying routine.

He said he could not wait to get back for a special group performance, telling ITV's Daybreak: "I'm OK now, I got all cleared yesterday. I've had pins in me, I've been like a pincushion for the last few days getting all tests and everything kind of cleared, because I just want to get back on the ice on Sunday."

Gareth, whose illness meant he could only perform one of his two planned routines with skating partner Robin Johnstone last weekend, added: "I'm going to be back on Sunday, yes. But I'm not flying ever again, my feet are staying on the floor."

The Welsh star's withdrawal meant the three remaining celebrities - EastEnders actor Matt Lapinskas, boxer Luke Campbell and gymnast Beth Tweddle - progressed to this weekend's final.

Gareth said of returning to the ITV show on Sunday: "We're not competing, I'm just back for the final.

"Everybody's coming back... I didn't want to go through to the final unless I go through fairly. But I just want to be there because we've all got really, really close as a group, and I want to be there to support the three finalists."

He said of his semi-final aerial routine: "We started two weeks ago practising for it and the first day I was really ill, vomiting... head spins.

"And every day I went up, and every day it got progressively worse and worse. They said it would get better, but it just got worse.

"We did a dress run prior to it and I'd got used to the studio, but then they had the studio lights, the pyrotechnics, and that was it, that was game over for me."

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