Battle Grounds Ice Stars

Aimie has asthma and she struggles with her breathing regularly.

It gets worse when she skates and panics.

It scared me a little.

Like, I was a bit worried because I didn't know what that meant

for my skating career.

Today I'm going to be doing my speed test for the British Championships.

BANG

Go, Charlie!

-Ready for the British?

-Yay!

-Yeah?

Josh has put nine years of his life into this.

Kind of just feels surreal when you find out that you've finally won.

Don't really feel like it's happened.

I'll have to wait until it sinks in a bit.

The Icicles get fired up as they take on their rivals in Salzburg.

We try to psych out everyone. I don't care who they are!

And disaster strikes for Charlie.

I have just done my worst-ever race.

So it's 12.30 at night and we're just on our way to Salzburg.

I can imagine most of the girls won't have slept.

They're probably feeling quite tired.

This season the Icicles have been working harder than ever,

leading up to their international competition in Salzburg.

Down in the knees, drive!

Strong holds!

Salzburg is one of the biggest international competitions ever.

Teams from all over the world come just to compete.

Our main aim is probably to come top ten and to beat our rivals,

Switzerland and France.

Getting top ten means beating countries where skating is like a

national sport, so the Icicles need to get more points than ever before.

We're making you do more difficult things this time.

Because you need the points.

-# Everywhere we go

-Everywhere we go

# People always ask us... #

We've put in so many hours on the ice, we're going to smash it.

We're going!

Who's excited?

-ALL:

-Yeah!

So I know it's really late in the night and you're tired, erm,

but before you know it we'll be in Austria and skating.

Salzburg, here we come!

THEY CHEER

The Icicles are travelling nearly 1,000 miles to Salzburg in Austria.

They'll compete against 19 other teams from across the world

in the Mozart Cup.

Going to fly!

Ready?

Ready, steady,

-ALL:

-Three, two, one...

CAMERA CLICKS

I think the weather does make us a bit happier,

because we don't normally get snow, do we?

-I can see my breath, like...

-Yeah.

Right, face forward, let's take a nice forwards one now.

Salzburg is amazing, it's so beautiful, it's all snowy.

I think everyone's just really pumped for the competition.

For one Icicle, everything is new.

It's my first international with the Icicles.

We're going to have Alex skate the short programme.

APPLAUSE

Alex was selected to skate after this season's try-outs.

I felt, like, quite proud that I'd managed to get in.

It's really good being away with everybody and getting to know

the girls more.

After months of practice, the competition is only one sleep away.

Excited for tomorrow?

Just...I'm a bit too tired right now to be excited!

Need a good sleep tonight, before the long tomorrow.

I think our long programme's quite strong, isn't it?

-Yeah, it is really strong. It's fast as well.

-Yeah.

I think people feel intimidated by the other teams.

I know, you just need to, like, perform like you're the best there.

-I'm so tired.

-Same.

-I kind of need to, like, re-tan.

-Don't think I should redo mine.

-I don't know how tanned I am.

-Yours looks really even.

-Mine?

-Yeah.

-I'll see you guys in the morning.

-ALL:

-Bye!

Just want to sleep.

All the way back in Nottingham, Charlie and Freddie have

ditched their ice-hockey pads for a streamlined catsuit.

With both skaters getting impressive times during trials...

So, well done. Well done.

..they must now show the rest of Great Britain what they've got.

Today is Charlie's first-ever national competition as

a speed skater.

Well, I've just woken up.

I'm just getting ready for the British Championships.

And the boys are in need of some serious speed.

Getting into the British for, like, the first time

is just, like, the biggest thing ever.

He's up against the top speed skaters in Britain and that

includes best pal Freddie.

Because we're best friends,

we don't mess around on the ice, we're really competitive.

But I do feel proud of just making it through and I'm really

excited that I'm going to it.

And coach Mandy is hoping that Charlie is ready for the challenge.

For a first British Championships it's a real big learning curve.

-You're on third or fourth race, yeah?

-Yeah.

-OK, get that?

So get your skates on and get yourself ready, OK?

His first race of the day is the 500m heat.

Just before the race my thoughts were, don't fall over,

don't be nervous and just skate as fast as you can.

Especially cos I'm going against people from all over the country.

Up against tough competition,

Charlie heads to the start line, but then it all begins to go wrong.

The person that has the gun, erm, says to the line, "Ready"...

Ready.

..then she fires the gun and then we all do a two-lap race.

BANG

Oh, Charlie.

Charlie! You're off.

Charlie's off.

You're off, darling, you got two false starts.

-Why was he given for the first one?

-The skate was over the line.

How silly.

Charlie's first race of the day and he's been disqualified,

after a false start.

Charlie probably got his false starts because he's a hockey skater

so he's used to quick reactions and moving first, innit?

I have just done my worst-ever race.

I've just been disqualified because I got two false starts,

and if you get two false starts you're out of the race.

Didn't even get to skate.

I'm really annoyed with myself!

What did we say?

Every time in training do I say, "Stand still on the line"?

You know what you did?

So the first going to the line you had your foot over the line,

which is classed as a false start, which he said to you.

You were the fastest person in that race!

So you didn't need to do a false start.

But never mind, at least you're smiling. Yeah? Don't do that again.

-I won't!

-Good!

I've learned my lesson and I know not to do it again!

When it happens the once, they learn from it,

and I think he will learn from it.

And with a whole day of racing ahead,

Charlie needs to learn quickly.

The higher in the race you come, the more points you win.

At the end of the competition,

the skater with the most points wins the gold medal.

First, Charlie needs to battle it out with best friend, Freddie.

This season, Kloe and Josh have been relentlessly training

to perfect their routines.

But today, it's time to chillax.

Christmas is approaching and they are hitting the festive market.

I like everything.

Look at that.

That looks nice.

We've come to the Christmas market and we're just going

to have a bit of a look around.

But we don't really have a lot of time usually,

so it's really nice not thinking about skating or anything.

How good does that work?

That looks good.

I could skate in this.

Look at that, Kloe.

-A whole new look.

-Do you like it?

-You look fantastic, honestly.

Thank you.

Look at that.

SHE LAUGHS

Take it off.

MUSIC: History by One Direction

# You and me got a whole lot of history... #

-Is it good?

-It is nice.

-Is it hot?

No, it's not too hot, actually.

The moment these two met, they began to share a dream.

Do you remember when we used to, like, always talk about,

"Oh, it would be so good if we went to the Olympics together."

-And, like, the Olympics is only, like, three years away now.

-I know.

It seems like it was so long ago and now it's so close.

And when we first started talking about that,

we couldn't even do something like a double axle, and now we're doing,

-double axle triples, like...

-I know. I hope we get to go.

-We'll go, one day.

-Yeah.

Even if we just go and watch, we'll go to the Olympics one day.

-No, we're going to skate!

-Ha, going to skate!

Can you believe it's been four years?

-Since you first came over?

-No.

I remember warming up on the ice and the whole session

I was planning what I was going to ask you.

Kloe, you never used to say anything.

No, we'd try and talk to you...

No, but you'd always understand, like, what I would say.

-You were just a bit shy.

-I know.

-A bit?

-I'd be a bit shy, to be honest,

-if I moved to a different country.

-I know.

Josh is now British champion,

and has qualified for the biggest competition of his career so far.

In just a few days, he'll head to Kloe's home country, Hungary,

to compete for the title of Junior World Champion.

Had you feel about going to Junior Worlds?

I think, for me, I just want to skate good.

Like, you shouldn't go there to get a certain score.

I think you should just go there to skate. And it's in Hungary.

And it's in Hungary as well.

I don't know, I think you should come and watch anyway.

-I think you should just come.

-Yeah.

-You need to come and support me.

I've got to have my Klo-bone out there.

Having not qualified, Kloe won't be joining Josh this year,

but that isn't going to stop her cheering on her bestie and

chasing their Olympic dream.

Back at the rink,

it's Charlie's biggest competition ever.

And he needs all the support he can get.

A bad start to the British competition isn't going

to hold Charlie back.

I'm not going to false start.

That's the plan.

Charlie's next race is the 222,

which is a sprint race.

So, he needs a real good start in this,

so it's going to be a good tester.

And, hopefully, he'll stand still on the line.

Charlie and Freddie have both made the final of the 222 metre race

and will be on the start line together.

What is really, really good is that they are all friends, so on the

ice they compete against each other and it means the world to them.

This distance is two laps and it's my favourite distance.

No false starts.

I think that the most fun bit about racing together is that,

even though were best friends off the ice, we've still got to be

the most competitive we are against each other.

Lane two, Charlie.

He's, literally, Speedy Gonzales.

Yeah.

Lane three, Freddie.

Yeah, like, when we're in the same race, even though he's like

Speedy Gonzales, it's still fun to try and overtake him.

Charlie says he's going nowhere near the start line this time.

Well, I just spoke to him and I said, "You're six foot off it!"

Go, go, go, go, go! Keep going!

Go on, Freddie! Go on, Charlie!

Shoulders down!

Shoulders down!

Come on, Charlie! Come on, Freddie!

Come on, Charlie, keep skating!

Ooh, ooh, ooh!

Come on, come on, come on!

Oh, Charlie!

I thought that was a good race.

Freddie came second and Charlie,

nearly falling on the last corner, but he got third.

That's really good.

I think that race was actually good.

Cos I managed to stay behind him the entire time.

Being next to Freddie on the start line is, I think it's really fun.

That's the very end of the false starts.

They're done and dusted.

I definitely think I would see myself coming to loads more

of these in the future.

For Charlie, in his first championships,

there's no podium, but there's a lot of potential there.

He skated really, really well.

From Nottingham, Freddie.

Freddie, it's his second championships,

but he's on the podium, so he's doing really, REALLY well.

Very talented.

It's a definite improvement from last year,

because I got podium this year and I didn't get podium last year.

Charlie has done really good.

It was really fun having Charlie skating with me.

Hmm, I'm sure you're not supposed to run on the ice in your shoes!

As one battle ends...

..across Europe another is just beginning.

It's competition day for the Icicles.

They're up against some of the world's top synchronised

skating teams in snowy Salzburg.

Our biggest rivals are Switzerland and France.

We want to go out there and beat them.

-It's an early start for the off-ice warm up.

-One more!

It may be 7am, but the girls are wide awake and ready to win.

Our routines are going really well and I definitely think we've got

a chance in beating our rivals.

Having the time of your life, Aims.

While the Icicles warm up in their allocated area,

directly opposite are none other than their old rivals, France.

Go again!

Let's do two groups and then have a dance-off.

At competitions, every team tries to psych each other out.

You can be chief clappers - and you'd better be good clappers!

Everyone tries to outperform each other.

It's basically a dance-off and the competition starts

before we get on the ice.

And whee!

MUSIC: Just Dance by Lady Gaga

Hold it!

When we were warming up for the competition,

France was next to us, warming up.

We were dancing the best we could and so were they.

Good, girls! Keep going!

Woo!

Woo!

One, two, three, four, breathe!

You go, girls!

With both squads saving the real performance for the ice,

Team France head out first.

It was intense between us and the French.

-They thought they were going to beat us, didn't they, Aims?

-Yeah.

-They're not.

-They're not going to. Not going to.

We're now going on the ice for our official practice.

The girls are ready for it. They're excited. They're ready to skate

the best they can and I'm sure they will do.

With one more chance to feel the ice before tonight's

big performance, the Icicles are giving it everything they've got.

We try to psych out everyone. I don't care who they are.

If they're Finland, if they're Canada, we don't care.

If we act the best, then we should skate the best.

-ALL:

-I said, brr, it's cold in here

I said there must be some Icicles in the atmosphere

I said, brr, it's cold in here

I said there must be some Icicles in the atmosphere

I said oh-wee, oh-wee, oh-wee

Ice, ice, ice!

The standard of the competition is fantastic.

Even the teams that we've beaten previously are looking fantastic,

so, of course, that put a little bit of pressure on us.

With the other competitors watching,

the rivalry is heating up.

All the other teams were watching us.

It didn't stop us from going out there and doing our best.

Right, could be much faster on these twizzles. Go, come on.

Don't talk, just hurry up.

I know my asthma makes me struggle a lot, but there was loads of

teams watching and I'm not going to let them see that I'm a weakness.

I wasn't going to let that take over my skating.

The Icicles use up every last second of the practice

and the tension in the rink is electric.

Push... And pull.

Off, let's go.

The practice went really well,

so that made us really pumped for the actual competition.

Come on, girls!

Back in Nottingham, Josh is preparing for a battle of his own.

Have you got my skates on?

There's a cat in the bag!

THEY LAUGH

Maybe he wants to go with you instead of me.

Maybe he wants to go with me.

Do you know what? That was a sign, that was a sign...

I think...

-I think it's a bit too big.

-I'm there for, like, a week.

-Well, fair enough.

-Eight days, maybe.

What are you going to take?

Well, there's quite a lot of rest days.

Because I skated well at the British, and I managed to win,

I'm able to qualify for Junior World.

They haven't got any blades on them.

Kloe didn't qualify this year,

so Josh will have to brave it and go alone.

You know if there's a closing banquet, what am I going to wear?

-I did not plan...

-Is there?

-I did not plan for this.

I've never actually been to a World Championships before,

so it's a whole new experience.

There's an opening ceremony, but it's on the ice, it's not...

Oh, so you're just going to watch?

I've decided this time that I'm going to go without my parents.

I want to just be able to concentrate on myself

and doing my job and stuff,

so it's just going to be me and Gurgen that go.

Oh, costumes!

Oh, yeah. Don't forget that.

Can you imagine if I got there, and I didn't have costumes?

I know they'll be able to watch when they're here at home,

and I know they'll be cheering for me from here,

but it's good to be able to just go and concentrate on myself

and just do my job properly, cos that's what I train for.

I can't believe you're going without me.

It feels a bit weird, I'm not going to lie. Like...

-Cos we go everywhere...

-Together.

And then, this one time...

This one time, you're not coming with me.

Me and Kloe, we normally go to international competitions together,

and it's always good to have each other to relax with.

Next year.

Next year, it's going to be even better, though,

because next year's in, like, China.

-I know.

-So, you know, we'll just go to that one instead.

Josh gets to go and do something so amazing.

It's such a shame that I'm not going with him, because obviously,

it would be so much fun.

I will be watching you.

-Good luck.

-Thanks, darling.

See you later!

-Bye!

-I'll text you, obviously.

-Yeah, obviously.

-See you later!

-Bye!

Josh may be heading off on his own,

but when the Icicles hit the road,

there's a coach load of them, who work hard, but play hard, too.

Why did Adele cross the road?

To say hello from the other side!

MUSIC: We Are Who We Are by Little Mix

I blame Charlotte Connor!

In Salzburg, it's not just all work, there's some playtime.

It was snowing. It was the most amazing setting ever.

I've never been in that much snow before.

We had a massive snowball fight.

And one of the girls got Esther in the face.

It was really funny.

THEY SHRIEK WITH LAUGHTER

Oi! Oi! Stop!

We came outside to have a bit of fun,

but because we're The Icicles,

Esther came out, and obviously, we threw a snowball in her face.

Shall we make a snowman?

After the snowball fight,

we all decided to build a snowman to apologise to Esther.

MUSIC: Sorry by Justin Bieber

-Are you on record?

-Yeah.

And then we took a video of us saying sorry.

# Is it too late, now, to say sorry?

# Cos I'm missing more than just your body

# Oh

# Is it too late now to say sorry?

# Yeah, I know that I let you down

# Is it too late to say sorry now? #

Sorry for throwing a snowball at your face!

Are you all genuinely sorry?

-Yes!

-I forgive you!

After we apologised to Esther,

we had to get back and be serious.

The Icicles apply the final touches

to their competition hair and make up.

From the stands, they see their rivals take to the ice,

and Switzerland are up first.

Watching the other teams while you're in the stands getting ready,

yeah, it does make it you a bit nervous, it always does.

Their routines were amazing.

Switzerland set a score of 87 to beat.

19 teams from all over the world

are competing to win the Mozart Cup,

and the competition is fierce.

When France got on the ice,

we had to go down to the changing room to get ready,

cos we were on just after them.

So we had no clue how well they did.

France skate a clean programme,

and score a very impressive 91 points.

The Icicles need to be faultless to have any chance of beating them.

This is our time to calm down, now,

and then remember why we're here,

and what we want to achieve while we're here.

The girls know they'll have to skate their hearts out,

and above all, focus.

They prepare by visualising the whole routine.

You look great, you look beautiful, and you just...

You look amazing, honestly.

So go out there and skate amazing.

Let the audience drive you through this programme,

cos they're enjoying it.

Our free programme is really tricky.

It's the most nerve-racking routine,

as it's the one that decides your place.

Ready, girls?

It decides if you're first or last.

# If you could take my pulse right now... #

Woo! Yes!

# ..it would feel just like a sledgehammer... #

Come on, girls! Yes!

# If you could feel my heart beat now

# It would hit you like a sledgehammer... #

Come on!

# If you could take my pulse right now

# It would feel just like a sledgehammer

# If you could feel my heart beat now

# It would hit you like a sledgehammer... #

Throughout the routine, we started getting more pumped,

and the crowd was with us.

CHEERING

Push!

# You're taking over the beat of my body

# You just don't let up

# Don't let up

# You're taking over the beat of my body

# But you lift me up

# Lift me up... #

Element by element, it builds up, and you get more and more excited,

and more and more confident with what you're doing.

It's like, getting the points as you go along.

Come on, girls! Push!

# So close together... #

Yes, girls!

-Come on!

-CHEERING

# My fire's waiting for your spark... #

CHEERING

There's 16 skaters, and anybody could trip, fall...

It's that last few seconds where you know that you've really made it.

# If you could feel my heart beat now

# It would hit you like a sledgehammer. #

Come on, hold your legs!

Hold on now!

CHEERING

As we step off the ice, we have to wait at the kiss and cry.

I was so nervous. Everyone was so nervous. It was horrible.

Whatever the results, you've done yourselves proud.

That was good.

All smiles, cos that was really good.

We had our hearts in our mouths. It was...

It was really scary.

Cos you don't actually know if you're going to kiss, or cry.

CHEERING

With an amazing score of 98 points, the Icicles have come tenth,

beating France and Switzerland.

Well done!

We beat all the teams we wanted to, so we're so happy.

-Give us love. You happy?

-Yeah.

They did it!

I'm really pleased, they skated really good.

They skated their hearts out.

They looked fantastic on the ice, and they're all really happy.

I think Salzburg went amazingly,

and we ended it on a high.

The best competition I've ever been to.

Like, the atmosphere was amazing, and the points are great.

Couldn't have asked anything more from them, as a coach.

Here's to the next competition. I'm excited.

Next time, on Ice Stars...

I am with you, everybody with you, you know?

Josh fights to qualify at the Junior World Championships.

-He put his hand down.

-The only thing that was going through my head

was the fact that I put the hand down.

I was like, I don't know if that's going to cost me.

Jellie decide once and for all if they want a future together.

I don't know, like, what I'd prefer to do.

It needs to be all or nothing.

And there's a surprise in store for Kloe.

I'm so happy!