It's Gala Day Ice Stars

Flat! Again!

Do you get it now?

ALL: Yeah!

Yes? Great.

Making it as a champion skater doesn't come easy.

It takes years of practice...

..hard work...

One more, then I'd be a very happy coach.

..and dedication.

Five, six, seven, eight! Edge, edge! Not too bent...

But even then, only a few will become tomorrow's...

..Ice Stars.

We've been behind the scenes of the National Ice Centre in Nottingham,

where the country's top skaters learn all they need to become ice stars.

As well as skate, we've seen them eat...

To Adriano and Ella!

..and eat...and eat!

-Look at the sheer beauty...

-Very good.

-..of this courgette stalk.

Very impressed.

We've seen them cry.

I couldn't contain my tears!

We've seen them laugh more.

They've fallen over...

..and over...

..but got right back up again.

One, two, three, four! Positions!

-Bend your knees!

-Push! Fast, fast, fast!

-Quick feet, quick feet!

Get those feet moving!

To be the best on the ice takes real dedication,

but once a year, our skaters get the chance to forget winning or

losing and just show friends and family what they can do.

It's time for the annual gala and a chance for all the different

disciplines to come together for one almighty performance.

This is my first gala

and I'm feeling excited about it.

We've got the whole family coming,

the whole of the immediate family

coming to watch Solomon perform in the gala.

Solly only started skating two years ago,

but the coaches saw his natural potential when he mastered

a tricky jump and he won a spot performing in the elite boys' team.

See you later, all right? Off you go, darling.

With gala day finally here, no-one is more excited than Ella.

When Adriano came over from Italy in search of a partner,

Ella was made up.

When I found out that I was going to be

partnered with Adriano,

I felt really happy and excited.

Ella had been finding school tough,

as some people didn't understand her commitment.

I'm not going to give up, because of what people say about me.

But there are others who can't wait to see her skate at the gala.

Are you guys coming to watch me at the gala?

-TOGETHER: Yeah!

-Thank you!

Today, for the first time,

the pair will skate as a couple in front of a packed arena

and hope to show everyone that all the waiting has been worth it.

-Yeah, spin...

-Spin, then you jump, like that.

We've never performed as a couple before.

We've performed in front of our mums and dads when we've practised,

but never in front of hundreds of people.

Another gala first timer is ice hockey player Charlie.

He was given a skating scholarship and since then has wowed the coaches.

Today, he has ditched his hockey kit and will be narrating the gala,

along with his schoolmates, instead.

We are coming on the ice

and introducing all the flags.

This is actually my first gala and I'm feeling really nervous.

After months of rehearsing new routines, it is

not only the skaters who are hoping tonight will be a success.

A little bit nervous, um,

but very positive.

So, I think we are ready.

For ice dance couple Josh and Ellie, today's performance is extra special.

Josh was thinking of leaving skating to try

and make it as a ballet dancer.

But after lots of soul-searching,

he decided to carry on skating with Ellie.

I've decided to do another year of skating.

It's really good news and I'm really happy about it.

So, today, Ellie can relax,

knowing Jelly will perform for at least one more season.

Family and friends have come from all over the UK to see

this year's gala - Around The World In 80 Skates.

150 ice skaters will come together for the gala and each

performance will be given a country or a continent as its theme.

Only two skaters will perform solos tonight,

champion figure skaters Kloe and Josh.

Are you nervous?

I'm all right, what about you?

-No.

-No!

Gurgen said they sold, like, 2,000 tickets. Where is your mum sitting?

Um, I don't know, actually, I don't know where my parents are sitting.

Do you know where your mum is sitting?

Feeling all right at the moment, but I haven't seen that many people

sat watching, so I'm sure I'll get a little bit nervous before I go on.

My whole family is, like, coming to watch me today.

I have my mum, my dad,

my grandma, my uncle, my auntie, then I have two more

uncle and aunties, and three of my school friends are coming.

As the crowd flood into the arena, behind the scenes,

our anxious skaters are desperate to get the show started.

We are about to go on and everyone is rushing around everywhere.

I'm just waiting so that I can get my boots on.

I'm fine at the minute, everyone else seems to be

running around everywhere.

The final preparations are over,

all the months of training are behind them,

and tonight, for one night only, the skaters will all perform together.

It's showtime!

Charlie takes to the ice with his mates

for their important roles as narrators.

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls,

we are going to skate Around The World In 80 Skates.

-Kids, are you ready for the journey?

-ALL: Yeah!

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, to Ireland we go!

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

MUSIC STARTS

Ice dance coach Woody and skating partner Robynne are first up.

They are one of only three dance partnerships at the Ice Centre.

With the lack of boys in ice dance,

not all the girls have been lucky enough to find someone to skate with.

Backstage, solo skaters Kershia, Lauren and Kloe

are getting ready to head out on the ice.

Right, I've curled my hair four times now!

Tonight, none of them are worried about having partners,

because this is their time to shine,

as the whole ice dance team head to the ice for a group performance.

We are off to Argentina.

Let's tango!

MUSIC PLAYS

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

On the ice, it's all going to plan,

but it is anything but calm in the dressing room

for Alexia and the figure skating crew.

-Guys...

-Top up your lippy!

-No, no time for that.

All right, everyone ready, team?

ALL: Yeah!

Has everybody got everything?

You haven't forgotten your brain, yourself...? We are good to go.

One number, guys...

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

That actually went really, really well.

Feels like it's just over too quickly, like, all this work

and you get a two-minute theatre thing in a two hour show

and you're like, oh, come on! At least let me do an encore!

We don't really get to do this very often,

like, the couples go off and do their thing,

we go off and do our thing, so, it's really nice to come together

-and just enjoy it as a group.

-Yeah.

The gala is in full swing.

The first few acts have smashed it.

So far, so good.

Figure skater Josh is moments away from performing his solo.

We are just sewing on the final bit of my costume to my T-shirt,

so it doesn't fly off during the routine!

You'll probably see me running to the ice, like, "Wait!"

Josh has had a tough season.

At a competition in Luxembourg, he was gutted with his first

performance and had to skate on with an injury in his second.

I cut my finger just before I was about to go on,

so I had to deal with that halfway round.

He just missed out on a medal.

-Aww!

-Two points off third!

His family have moved house, schools

and jobs to be closer to the rink and he doesn't want to let them down.

-Hi, Mummy.

-Hi, darling.

Even if his sister jokes about it.

Hopefully, he'll make it to the Olympics and win gold.

If he doesn't, then he's in trouble!

In a couple of minutes' time, he will get the chance to

show his family just what their sacrifices have meant to him.

But before that, Alexia, Emma

and friends are sending the crowd into a spin.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

On the sidelines, Josh nervously waits to perform.

APPLAUSE AND CHEERING

And it's a chance to put his Luxembourg disappointment behind him.

This is his moment.

Go on, Josh!

MUSIC: Overture from Carmen by Georges Bizet

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

He's done it.

Now, that looks like a performance from a future Olympian!

Chloe's going to be so proud of her big bro.

I enjoyed it, going out there today, knowing there wasn't going to be

any judges or anything watching, so that was nice.

The jumps weren't the best, but they were done.

I landed and people clapped, so, you know...

That's all you can ask for, when you land and people clap.

I'm happy with that, yeah. Very tired now!

There's still two more routines to go. Ohh!

-At least it's done now, though.

-That's the hard one over.

Yeah, that's the harder one done.

Bringing a bit of rough-and-tumble, it's the ice hockey boys.

And who says they can't dance?

The acts just keep on coming.

Backstage, Adriano and Ella are warming up.

Although they've only been partners for a couple of months,

the coaches are so impressed that they've decided to let them

perform with champion ice dance couple Josh and Ellie.

I've got you!

Yeah, I know, but you're, like, twisting round!

For Ella, this is a new beginning.

But for Synchro Captain Emily,

her skating career may soon be coming to an end.

I've got to choose whether I stay next season or not,

because of schoolwork.

With the Icicles winning the British Championships and beating rivals

France at the Worlds, Emily has found it hard to make a final decision.

This could be my last time skating with the girls,

so it'd be really, really sad that it might be the last thing.

I just want to enjoy it and, if it is my last, then it is my last.

So, Emily and the girls are going to give it their best in the gala,

just in case it is her last performance.

You want to impress everybody else that skates, so, it's kind of

just like a competition, we've got to perform exactly the same.

MUSIC PLAYS

The Icicles dance their carnival routine one last time

before they finish their season.

Now, that's a performance to make their captain proud.

The performance went very well. Everyone was so happy after.

In saying that it was a good performance, obviously,

it was the last one of the season, so we've ended it on a high.

ALL: Go Icicles!

For ice dance couple Adriano and Ella,

the next performance marks the beginning of a new chapter.

The lipstick's darker.

The couples are skating next, but on their way to the arena,

there is a problem with Ella's costume.

Her mask is stuck.

Elly, Elly. We're on now.

Whatever anyone does to help,

the mask just seems to get more and more tangled.

Jelly are already on the ice.

If they can't get the mask sorted,

Adriano and Ella might not be able to join them after all their hard work.

Quick!

MC MAKING ANNOUNCEMENTS

Let's go to Armenia!

They are announcing the routine. Jelly are off.

Wow. They made it, just in the nick of time.

MUSIC: Flashlight by Jessie J

What a beautiful performance from both of the couples.

Adriano and Ella have done it - their first skate as a partnership.

Watch out, Jelly, looks like you've got some competition here.

And just look at their family and friends' reactions

There was a moment where I thought

I wasn't ever going to get there on time. I was really stressed.

And then, when we got to the side of the ice

and I still hadn't got it on, my heart was pounding

and I thought they would start the music without me and Adriano.

We still got through the performance and it was what I hoped for, really.

Kloe has been anxiously watching the gala,

but the wait for her solo is almost over.

Tonight's performance might be an emotional one

as she is representing her home country Hungary.

Sasha, do you have a mirror?

I'm doing a solo today,

which is a Hungarian theme, so I'm really excited,

because, obviously, I'm from Hungary

and it's a really big thing to me.

Four years ago, Kloe and her mum left their family and friends behind

so Kloe could train full-time in Nottingham.

After years of training at the crack of dawn,

all her sacrifices seemed worth it as she won the British Championships.

But this season, things have not always gone to plan.

At the competition in Luxembourg, luck wasn't on her side

when she fell in both of her routines.

So she recently travelled back home to see her family.

She visited the rink in Budapest, where her skating career began,

looking for inspiration for her gala routine.

That was good.

That was really nice.

Inspired by her visit home,

it's Kloe's chance to show everyone

just why she gave up so much to chase her dream.

I'm just about to go on for my solo.

Anything could go wrong.

It shouldn't go wrong, but anything could, so we'll see...

MUSIC AND APPLAUSE

Best friends Alexia and Josh can't wait to see her perform.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

From Jamaica, Around The World In 80 Skates is off to Hungary.

HUNGARIAN MUSIC PLAYS

Beautiful, Kloe, what an amazing spin,

and looks like the crowd thinks so too.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

Someone else who is hoping

the crowd will love his jumps and spins is Solly.

Solly was asked to try out for a spot in the gala.

In order to get the part, he had to land the axle.

The decision is...

-you're doing the axle.

-Yes.

-Thumbs up.

Very good, good lad.

After some expert tuition from figure skater Josh,

it's Solly's chance to debut the axle in the elite boys' Elvis performance.

Solomon has been working really hard on his axle.

Fingers crossed he does it really nicely in front of everyone.

But he's got a tough act to follow.

CROWD CHEER AND APPLAUD

That was sensational, Kloe.

I just got off the ice after my solo and it was amazing.

I think the audience really enjoyed it as well,

because they clapped like crazy. It was really good.

The ice is rocking. Move over Elvis, it's Solly who's in the spotlight.

MUSIC: See See Rider by Elvis

He's spun, and now for the jump.

Here comes the axle.

He's landed it. Well done, Solly.

You nailed it.

The axle went really good. I landed it and everyone cheered.

What a gala, and what a triumph for everyone involved.

All 150 skaters are lining up to take to the ice

for their round of applause and bow.

APPLAUSE

Coaches, please be ready.

Please be ready for surprise. Everybody go to the...

But what's Coach Gurgen up to?

There's one more place for us to visit

and that's here, our home city of Nottingham.

And, boy, it's a beautiful day!

All the skaters are backstage, so who's that on the ice?

MUSIC: Feeling Good by Michael Buble

It can't be. Is that...?

I think it's the coaches!

It is. It's the coaches.

The coaches!

No way!

There's Gurgen! Oh, my God!

What a surprise. The coaches are on the ice with their own routine.

It's Jelly's coach Sophie with Woody.

And there's Coach Tamara.

What an amazing spin.

Wow, Gurgen! No wonder you give Josh and Kloe a hard time.

-Much better than our routine.

-And their costumes.

-And costumes!

-Yes, much better.

-So good.

All the skaters flood onto the ice

and bring the annual gala to an impressive close.

The gala has been a huge success.

All the hours of training and rehearsals have paid off.

Well done, you did really well.

It's been really, really good. It's been amazing.

We managed to do everything and everyone was smiling and clapping.

-It was a really good atmosphere.

-It was a great atmosphere.

It was sad to think it might be my last one.

I was nearly in tears at the end. This season has been so good for me.

Well done.

-Well done, darling.

-Well done.

I'm feeling really good, because I think it went really well.

I think the audience really enjoyed it

and I'm quite sad that it's over.

Well done!

Well done.

It was a very proud moment

and it was great to see him landing an axle.

It was fantastic. I'm very happy.

It was lovely to see them skate together in front of lots of people.

I found it really exciting and I think we did a good job.

We can't wait to do that again.

Yes, we're so looking forward to the next one.

It may be the end of the season for our skaters,

but things haven't stood still.

Speed skaters Izzy and Geoff

have started training with the Great British speed skating squad.

Ella and Adriano are now competing in the basic novice category

in training for the British Championships.

Sadly, the gala was Emily's last performance.

She has left Synchro to concentrate on her A-levels.

And Kloe and Josh are entering their busiest year ever

representing Team GB and balancing training with their GCSEs.

Because ice life never stops for the Ice Stars.