Gala Day Ice Stars

As the season draws to a close,

there's one more event in the calendar

that everyone is talking about...

It's Gala Day.

-BOTH:

-It's Gala Day!

The day has finally come.

It's a lot more exciting than just any other day at the rink.

We worry about everything because anything can go wrong.

I'm hoping to skate as well as I can.

-Morning!

-Morning!

At the moment, it's quite calm

which is kind of going to be the calm before the storm.

It is... It is going to get very crazy.

-Is it girls?

-Yeah.

I'm out of here!

Oh, yeah.

As our skaters get ready backstage,

they have no idea that Josh is arriving with some shattering news.

Ellie decided to stop skating completely.

Ellie and Josh are

no longer skating together.

I'm not sure what happened

with Jellie,

but I just know that they're not skating together any more.

Such a shame. They were so good.

If she's happy, that's really all that matters.

It's kind of hard

when one of you doesn't love the sport any more and...

I can totally understand where she's coming from, like,

if you don't enjoy it, it's such a hard sport to keep going

so we're all supporting her, and we're supporting Josh as well.

Word does spread fast in this place.

Most of the dancers know, obviously, but not many of the other groups do.

I'm a bit sad because I'm going to miss Ellie

cos she was, like, one of my really close friends.

I've taught her a very long time.

Josh and Ellie have grown up together.

And it's a very, very sad situation for us all.

It was a bit of a shock.

Everyone wishes Ellie good luck.

But for now, they have a show to put on,

as hundreds of people have bought tickets

to see them perform in just a few hours' time.

As the saying goes, the show must go on.

It hasn't left us with very much time to put something together.

However he's feeling, tonight, Josh has to perform his winning routine.

And there's only one person who can save the day.

So today, I actually have to skate with Josh.

I feel like today, people are going to expect to see Ellie and Josh

on the ice doing their number, but, obviously,

Ellie's not going to be here,

and it's going to be a little bit of a surprise.

It's very weird seeing Josh skate with anybody that's not Ellie.

Watching those two skate together is very strange.

Ellie had months to learn this routine,

but Lauren's going to have to pick it up in next to no time.

As the audience begin to arrive,

the centre's newest dance couple

are just going to have to give it their best shot.

Lauren just needs to remember to go out there

and have fun and enjoy herself.

I completely understand why she is worrying about it,

and Josh is worrying about it,

because they have only had a little amount of time.

At the end of the day, if they go out there, heads held high,

with a big smile on their face,

that's what the audience wants to see.

Someone who knows all about the ups and downs of ice dance

is tonight's very special guest.

Millions of people watched her win gold with her Bolero routine

in the 1984 Winter Olympics.

Whenever I come back to Nottingham,

there's a lot of nostalgia attached to it

because this is where I used to live

and where I started skating.

Olympic ice dance gold medallist

Jayne Torvill has been invited back to Nottingham,

to the rink where she used to train with her partner Chris,

to watch our ice stars following in her footsteps.

It is amazing that they've named the

square in the front of the building

after our routine

that won us the Olympic gold medal.

It's Bolero Square.

Over the years,

our ice stars have crossed Bolero Square hundreds of times.

But none have ever skated in front of this Olympic champion before.

She's a British legend.

Jayne Torvill was obviously a big inspiration

for a lot of the skaters here,

so that makes it even more special that we're putting on the gala

in her home rink, as well as our home rink.

She is someone that

everyone in Nottingham looks up to

and wants to be like.

I think, tonight, I'm just going to relax and enjoy myself.

It's only moments till show time,

and with word spreading that Jayne Torvill's in the audience,

backstage, it's all go.

-ALL:

-Ice, ice, ice!

Are you getting your skates on now?

In a minute, but I have, like, too much to do still.

Quick, shake your head to check it's OK.

Wait a minute, it's a bit crooked.

It's absolute OK.

-It's not OK.

-It looks fantastic.

I don't know.

-And now, we're welcoming on the ice...

-Hello!

Go out there and skate the best you can.

Perform it to the crowd.

I'm one of the first ones on the ice,

and I'm feeling really nervous about it.

-I can barely move my ankles.

-That's good, then.

I still have not got my other boot done up.

-Tie your laces, and then we'll come and sort you out.

-Yeah.

I wish I'd brought my lace puller.

It's really, really busy.

I don't want to do it any more.

-RADIO:

-'Do you think we are all ready in position to start on time?'

Um, yeah. Everybody ready. We are starting now.

Woohoo!

For ten-year-old Destiny, this will be her first ever gala.

She's been practising nonstop at the rink...

..determined to be an ice hockey player.

I keep falling, like Bambi.

She may not yet be in the team,

but, tonight, she is definitely in the spotlight.

It's show time.

-ANNOUNCER:

-'Ladies and gentlemen,

'let us put our skates on, as the National Ice Centre

'proudly presents your gala.'

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

Destiny is playing the part of a glittering snow princess

and Charlie is her prince.

-ANNOUNCER:

-'Welcome to Ice Stars!'

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

The rest of our ice stars live in the kingdom ruled by Kloe,

the ice queen.

APPLAUSE

But watch out, ice stars, the evil ice king Gurgen

is out to get you.

APPLAUSE

Surprise guests Joe and Molly

have flown back to their home rink to open tonight's show.

Molly is just 17.

The couple train in Nottingham, but have been in the USA

getting extra coaching

in preparation for the next Winter Olympics.

Waiting in the wings, Ella wants to prove that with Lauren by her side,

solo skating can still be fun.

# I'm loving the pain

# I never wanna live without it

# So why-y-y-y-y-y... #

It was a bit strange because I was used to

being in a partner.

# Now we're screaming just to see who's louder... #

And this year, I was just skating solo like Lauren.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

I'm touching the lucky door to give us good luck so we don't fall.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

I think it went really well.

But I didn't go splat on my face so it was fine.

Can you go and get changed?

The Silhouettes are British champions.

And tonight, they are here to prove to friends and family

just why that is.

All our ice stars are desperate to show Jayne Torvill what they can do.

But backstage, there's been a rebellion from the hockey players.

Me and Liam are putting our foot down.

We're not dancing. It's just not something we do.

Me and Liam are doing sort of a skate,

I call it a skate, with the under-11 team.

And we're just down here in our own private changing room

which is quite cool. I'm still trying to remember which way I skate

without messing it up, never mind dancing.

It was really exciting to perform in front of that many people.

And Jayne Torvill.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

Liam and Rais may be part of the most reluctant synchro team ever.

But they're looking pretty good.

# Ice, ice, baby

# Vanilla ice, ice, baby... #

While the ice hockey team are smashing it out on the rink,

Becky is getting ready for her first-ever gala solo.

How do you feel about doing a solo for the first time?

-Um, OK. Better than I thought I'd feel.

-Are you nervous?

I feel a bit more relaxed for this one.

Last year, Becky was just part of the figure team performance.

But since then, she's taken the circuit by storm

and is now British champion.

And that means tonight she'll have her first ever gala solo

in her very own spotlight.

If you forget something, no-one's going to know.

Just make sure you do perform, basically. Smile.

Everyone's going to love your music.

-Just smile.

-It wouldn't surprise me if...

-Make eye contact.

That's my tip.

With Rais and Liam nailing their performance,

all eyes will now be on the centre's newest rising star.

I'm quite nervous about doing jumps in the spotlight.

# Ooooh

# Singing

# Oh, I'm so in love with you

# Ooooh

# Singing, you, ooooh

# Singing, you, ooooh

# Singing, oh, I'm so in love with you

# I'm so in love with you

# And I feel love

# Do you feel love

# And I feel love

# Oh, oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh... #

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

Your solo was really good.

I saw it from the side. It looked amazing.

With faultless performances on the ice,

the pressure is piling on Lauren

as a last-minute replacement for Josh's partner, Ellie.

Is it weird skating with someone else?

Kind of, but you're kind of the same height as Ellie.

Just shorter arms and legs!

SHE LAUGHS

How do you feel?

OK, I just don't know if I trust you enough not to drop me.

Josh and Lauren have decided to perform

one of Jellie's trickiest lifts.

And with minutes to go, the nerves are starting to build.

We're just practising the lift because in practice, we fell over.

So we're just trying to make sure that won't happen on the ice.

She keeps going down my back,

which is what happened when we were on the ice,

and she fell forwards and I fell backwards.

I am a bit stressed.

I'm calm, I'm calm.

-You don't look very calm.

-I'm not calm. That's why.

Please don't drop me.

It took hours and hours to get the lifts right for Jellie.

So pulling it off tonight is a big ask.

Especially in front of a packed audience

and Britain's most famous ice dancer.

# I will survive and be the one who's stronger

# I will not beg you to stay... #

I was quite nervous with skating

with someone else for the first time.

When we were on the ice, we were talking to each other

and laughing, so it was quite good.

# I will survive and be the one who's stronger

# I will not beg you to stay

# I will move on and you should know I mean it

# Wild horses run in me... #

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

Just wow!

That's how a real ice star seizes a challenge

and delivers a performance in the spotlight.

I'm so happy.

Well, you know that Twizzle at the start,

I went to do a normal Twizzle.

So I didn't know when to jump for the first one,

so it was just a normal Twizzle for the first one

and I went, I just stuck my leg out.

Tonight, over 200 skaters have got parts in the gala

to perform in front of Jayne Torvill.

But Kloe, Josh and The Icicles are still waiting for their big moment.

I think this is OK now.

We're feeling great.

We're ready to go and have some fun and perform our routine.

I'm just going to the toilet for luck.

I just have to rush. I think we're on in about ten minutes.

-ALL:

-Go, reindeers!

Woohoo-hoo!

So far, we've seen an evil king, reindeer in golden boots,

and dancing penguins in this wonderful frozen kingdom.

But tonight, Kloe has the starring role.

She's playing the part of a beautiful ice queen

draped in a silver cape.

I've never actually had a prop before for anything.

So this is the first time, and it's quite, like, hard to deal with.

So I'm a bit nervous.

When I got this yesterday, it was really hard to do it with it

because it pretty much goes down to the floor.

I was always excited, but now that my grandparents are here,

it's, like, even better.

So I feel like this is going to be the best gala we've ever done.

Kloe had a big surprise when her grandparents secretly travelled

over 1,000 miles from Hungary

to see her perform in tonight's gala.

This solo is a big deal.

It's really hard.

I'm just hoping that it will all go well with this,

and then the rest, I can do.

I'm going to go now.

Go for it, Kloe! Good luck.

Thank you.

As the novice synchro girls finish their routine,

Kloe, the ice queen, can't wait to get on and start hers.

Take your time about it. You're beautiful.

# Ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh

# One day

# And I'll rise up

# I'll rise like the day

# I'll rise up

# I'll rise unafraid

# I'll rise up

# And I'll do it a thousand times again

# For you, ooooh, ooooh, ooooh

# For you, ooooh, ooooh, ooooh

# You, oooh... #

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

# For you, ooooooh

# We will rise

# We will rise

# We will rise up

# We'll rise... #

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

# I'll rise up

# Rise like the day

# I'll rise up

# In spite of the ache

# I will rise

# A thousand times again

# And we'll rise up... #

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

I was thinking about my grandparents and my sister and, obviously,

my mum as well. And I skated for them. I was looking around.

I could see faces, but it's not really clear

when you have the spotlight

so I was smiling at everyone I saw and, like,

hoping that one of them was them.

# For you, oooh, oooh, oooh

# For you

# For you, ooooh. #

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

I did it. I didn't fall in the cape.

Actually, I think it might have been the best I've done it,

so I'm really happy.

# Wake up in the morning

# With the sunlight in my eyes

# No, my head don't feel so bright

# What the hell happened last night?... #

There's so many things that can go wrong on Gala Day,

like missing their routines, falling over.

It's definitely not a competition today.

It's a very different atmosphere.

And tonight, instead of a panel of judges watching,

Josh has an Olympian.

# I want to run away... #

# I feel the shadows hanging over

# They're waiting to come closer

# To come and take me away

# I can feel my heart skip

# Every time that I slip

# I want to run away

# I feel the shadows hanging over... #

It went really well until, like, the last two seconds.

I, like, fell over just turning around. I just kind of got confused.

I did, like, the spin and I thought I was facing

the wrong direction, and I tried to turn around and just went,

like, roly-poly kind of thing. So kind of like died on the floor.

Other than that, it was all right.

Well done.

-Thanks, darling. Well done to you, too.

-Thank you.

What happened on the fall?

It was really funny.

I kind of felt bad for you but I was laughing at the same time.

It's all right.

I was just, like,

I did everything and there was, like, two seconds left,

didn't know where I was. I went to turn around and went...

-on the floor.

-Did you, like...

-What did you think?

-I was confused.

I was, like, on the floor and the music was nearly finished

and I was like, "What happened?"

-It was all right.

-It was fine.

# Is your lover

# Playing on your side?

# Said he loves you

# But he ain't got time

# Here's the answer

# Come and get it

# At a knock-down price... #

As The Icicles close the show...

# Full of honey just to make him sweet... #

..all the skaters head onto the ice to take a bow.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

# So come and get it while you've still got time... #

They were brilliant, and it was amazing.

Really, we are so proud of everyone.

I'm very proud.

It's been an incredible gala.

Over 200 skaters have come together to celebrate

the end of the season.

# How you been to me

# I got the recipe

# It's all black magic

# It's all black magic

# Take a sip from a secret potion

# One taste and you'll be mine

# It's a spell that can't be broken

# It will give you one more night... #

Jayne Torvill's so impressed with what she's seen,

she's gone backstage to meet our skaters.

I thought you were all brilliant tonight.

You must have worked really hard on those routines

and done lots of hours.

-And, Charlie, you were hockey skating.

-Yeah.

-I play in the under-11 hockey team.

-Under-11?

-And what position do you play?

-I play first-line centre.

You see, that doesn't mean anything to me.

I've asked you that now, and I don't know what it means.

-I'm Jayne.

-I'm Josh.

-Josh, hi.

-Kloe.

-Kloe.

-You felt like everything went well?

-BOTH:

-Yeah.

-Both our performances went pretty well.

-Yeah, I thought so.

-Thank you.

Well done.

Just being watched by an Olympic skater and being around her,

I think it was really, really huge for our skaters.

Knowing that Jayne didn't find her ice dance partner Chris

until she was 15 means that Josh and Ella find her an inspiration.

Even if they are a little star-struck.

Josh, hi.

-And you're both ice dancers?

-Yeah.

-But you don't dance together?

-No.

Just think about the future now because

you've put a lot of effort and time into your skating, I'm sure.

So it's not all lost, no?

You've still got that to move forward with.

-Oh, well, good luck to both of you.

-Thank you.

I enjoyed watching the show tonight

and enjoyed watching you in it, too.

Thank you.

It's been great coming back to Nottingham. It always is.

I had a lovely time, and I hope they invite me back next year.

It was good to have someone like Jayne Torvill in the audience.

It was really inspiring for everyone,

and it was great to meet her afterwards as well.

She's inspired so many of us.

All the hours of practising have paid off.

This has been a show everyone will remember.

It was really nice skating in front of my friends and family

because they never really come to my training sessions.

-Well done.

-Thanks, darling.

# So glad you came... #

I think the gala went really well,

but the best part was my friends

coming to watch with a massive banner.

# I'm glad you came... #

-Did you enjoy it?

-Yeah, it was good. It was fun.

I've just seen somebody coming for your autograph.

What's it like to be a superstar?

# Stay with me, I can make

# Make you glad you came... #

I think the gala went really well.

Me and Lauren managed to do the lift.

I think Lauren was really happy that I didn't drop her.

# The universe will never be the same

# I'm glad you came

# I'm glad you came... #

I think this gala was amazing,

and it's kind of sad that it's over because it's always so short,

but we'll just do it again next year,

and maybe it'll be even better.

# I'm glad you came... #

It was painful, stressful, but, at the end,

of course, they were brilliant.

And it was amazing, really, we are so proud of everyone.

# I'm glad you came... #

It's been a dramatic season for our ice stars.

The Silhouettes, Becky and Josh, all became British champions.

I'm not going to cry.

Ask a question before I start crying.

THEY CHEER

The Icicles triumphed in Salzburg.

THEY CHEER

Aren scored for England in Quebec.

Adriano and Ella just missed out on

a medal at the British Championships...

SHE CRIES

..and Adriano left for Italy.

His face was kind of really disappointed.

I knew it wasn't a positive thing.

Jellie's fame spread across the UK.

I heard someone scream, "Oh, it's Jellie!"

But all the hours on the ice took its toll,

and Ellie was left exhausted.

I do seven days a week skating and go to school as well.

You just want to go back to bed.

I just felt heavy, and I couldn't do anything. I was just so tired.

I think it is the hardest thing

because there's two of you to make a decision for.

They have gone through everything together,

all the highs and lows of their skating careers.

It's all been experienced together.

It's quite sad that she decided not to skate any more.

But we're still friends.

# I'm going to swing

# From the chandelier... #

Well done.

That was then. But what about now?

Kloe and Josh are practising their own Bolero routine

which you'll see on the CBBC website.

And...wait for it...

I was contacted by a coach from another ice rink

about a potential try-out for Ella

and I'm very pleased to say it went really well.

And the little boy has chosen to skate with Ella.

She's got a big smile on her face again

and the future is very bright for her now.

So the season may be over, but the next one looks even more dramatic.

For now...

It's a wrap.