BLINDSIDED
Dancing On Ice pro Mark Hanretty admits he ‘forgets’ partner Libby Clegg is blind – and leaves her stranded on the rink
DANCING On Ice's Mark Hanretty has admitted that he "forgets" his celebrity partner Libby Clegg is blind - and leaves her stranded on the rink.
The pair appeared on Lorraine earlier this morning to discuss their time on the ITV skating show.
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Revealing that she forgets that the 29-year-old Paralympian is blind when she watches her performances, the host asked 34-year-old Mark if he'd experienced the same.
Mark replied: "I've forgotten at inopportune times where I have left Libby and realised she is in the middle of the ice rink and left her stranded, so that's not the best."
Clearly taking the blunder in good jest, Libby laughed as Mark continued: "I do forget because she has so many coping mechanisms."
Detailing how she battles her disability on the ice, Libby explained: "I create a map in my head of where boundaries and certain obstacles are, so I just try and memorise all those really small details.
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"I recognise and observe things you wouldn't really notice on a daily basis in my normal life, so I try to do that on the ice rink as well."
Libby, who has no central vision or depth perception due to deteriorating eye condition Stargardt’s Muscular Dystrophy, is the first blind person to compete on Dancing On Ice after becoming a double Paralympic champion at the 2016 Paralympic Games in the 100m and 200m races.
Mark's previous celebrity partners include Nadia Sawalha and Saira Khan, and the pro went on to admit that he thought training Libby would be a "nightmare" due to her disability.
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He told Lorraine: "It's been a huge challenge, I came into it with a pre-conceived idea of how difficult it is going to be.
"Initially I thought this is going to be such a challenge, it's going to be a nightmare, and now I just think I've been the luckiest guy."
Mark heaped praise on his "humbling and inspiring" partner, with the duo to incorporate a suitcase prop in their routine for this Sunday's show.
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