Who is Lisa George? Meet the Coronation Street star turned Dancing On Ice contestant
The actress also known as Beth Tinker has swapped the cobbles for the ice rink
Lisa George is the latest Coronation Street star to swap Weatherfield for the Dancing On Ice rink.
Best known for playing Beth Tinker on the ITV soap, the actress will be hoping to glide her way to this year's title under the watchful eye of judges Ashley Banjo, Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean and newcomer John Barrowman.
George is skating in the competition in order to boost her confidence: "I’ve kept a low profile in the past because of my poor body image, I was never confident about my weight and didn’t like how I looked," she told The Mirror.
"I hold myself back a lot. I’m a bag of nerves. I’ve always been told it’s like I have an invisible rope around my neck hanging myself because I know I can do it – but I stop myself all the time. I’m insecure.
"Everyone is saying it will be nice for people to see the real me. But actually, I agreed to do it because I am turning 50 in October this year, which is a huge deal, and I am determined to get fit."
But how much figure skating experience does she have? Here's everything you need to know about the latest Coronation Street star to brave the ice...
Dancing On Ice 2020: Lisa George, Key Facts
Age: 49
Known for: Playing the role of Beth Tinker on Coronation Street
Twitter: @LisaGeorgeActor
Instagram: @LisaGeorgeActor
Professional dance partner: Tom Naylor
Who is Lisa George?
Lisa George is originally from Grimsby, North Lincolnshire, and before joining the cast of Coronation Street she performed an hour-long musical show for nursing homes across the country.
Her first appearance as Beth Tinker was in August 2011 for two episodes only, but she returned to become a series regular towards the end of that year as her character bagged a job at the local knicker factory, Underworld.
Since then, her character has become a fan favourite, earning a nomination for Best Newcomer in 2012 and marrying Kirk Sutherland (portrayed by Andy Whyment).
What has Lisa George said about Dancing On Ice 2020?
The actress is understandably nervous about taking part on the show, recounting an accident from her childhood on ITV morning show Lorraine: "I did it [ice skating] for a couple of years until I was about nine. I was in a competition and I stuck my blades in the ice, the ice shot up like a shard and cut my chin open so that was the end of my skating career.
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"I'm 49 this year so I haven't been on the ice for 40 years. I was scared, the ice was really glossy and I thought 'oh that's when I fell', so I had a flashback."
Dancing On Ice is on ITV at 6pm on Sundays