One Step from Stardom Ice Stars

Previously on Ice Stars...

We've come here to get some inspiration for our programme.

Everyone hold this pose.

Whatever you do in Bollywood, just make sure it's overly exaggerated.

It's given us such inspiration.

This season I've got a new partner, and she's called Lucy.

She's very, very talented.

Everything is just working really well for us,

and we're hoping we can carry this through to the future

and see where it takes us.

CHEERING

It's the day of the British Championships,

and the Icicles need to fight hard to defend their title...

We've come here as the reigning champions,

and that adds a lot of pressure.

..but, after seconds on the ice, it's not looking good.

GROANING

Aren tries out for the Conference League,

and a chance to be spotted by the international scouts...

Scouts from other countries come to that tournament,

because they know that's where the best players will be.

..and it's make or break time for ice dancing duo Jucy.

They're both quite stubborn in nature,

and it does cause some problems on the ice.

Wait...

Yeah, I didn't think you were going to jump into me, there.

When you're an ice star, there's no such thing as a lie-in.

For Jucy, it's another 5am start.

In the mornings, when I'm really tired,

I don't tend to say much,

and I think that gets on Lucy's nerves quite a lot.

What time are you getting home, then?

5.00.

Josh can be quite quiet,

like, just going through the motions kind of thing.

It is a bit strange, like, because I'm so full of energy,

and he's not so much,

so I'm having to, like, tone it down a bit.

Jucy skated really well together when they met.

They just need to work on their chemistry,

but things haven't gone as well as expected.

When me and Lucy first got together, it was all right.

We got on quite well, getting, like, used to each other at first,

but then we started arguing quite a lot.

Yeah, I didn't think you were going to jump into me, there.

That's what I mean.

When I did it, you said to go back across.

Josh and Lucy are very well matched in terms of their goals and

their aspirations for the future.

All the work we do side by side needs to come in, yeah?

Having a little bit more awareness of each other,

keeping an eye out for each other, yeah?

The issue that they have is their personalities clash quite a lot.

They're both quite stubborn in nature,

and it does cause some problems on the ice.

-Now it's just the normal chasses.

-Yeah.

And then next, like, is double chasse.

-Oh, I see, it's all starting...

-And then we change.

It's not like we don't like each other.

It's just that when we're on the ice,

we kind of focus on arguing with each other more than

the actual skating...

You can't do... You didn't even do the second one.

..and I think it's stopping us from being able to progress together.

We've had some times when we bicker and fall out.

I'd say he is really committed to doing things right,

like, he's a bit of a perfectionist.

I think me and Josh just have skating in common, really.

Well, they're going to have to find something to bring them together,

and quickly.

The biggest event in the ice dance calendar is just days away.

So, the British Championships are coming up really soon.

You need to just really work hard,

so you know what your goals are for the competition.

We want to be British champions, don't we?

OK? So let's work hard.

I really want things to work out for them,

but, unfortunately, if you find it difficult to get on with that person

that you've got to see six days a week, then it can be really hard.

It can make training a chore rather than something that you enjoy.

For Josh and Lucy,

there is more at stake at the British Championships than simply

getting on the podium...

If nothing's improved at the British,

then we're not sure whether we're going to carry on skating together.

..so it seems like make or break time for Jucy

is just around the corner.

Earlier this season,

ice hockey player Rais was spotted by a talent scout,

and picked to play for a top Canadian hockey school.

It's something I've always wanted to do since I was a little kid,

just play at a high level, so it was a dream come true, really.

Younger brother Aren is also hoping that he'll soon get his big break.

I'm really proud of Rais going away and getting spotted out in Canada,

so I hope that I could be as good as that one day

and have the opportunity to do that.

Tonight, Aren's come to a Conference trial,

where he's hoping to get reselected for his regional team.

My brother played for Midlands, and that's how he got spotted,

so hopefully I can make Midlands and hopefully go down that route.

But it won't be easy.

Every year, around 60 hopefuls battle it out for one of just

17 places on the squad.

You can't coast now, guys.

You can't coast.

Whether he gets selected or not is a decision for Aren's coaches.

So, you've got to now start thinking like a proper hockey player.

Just go out there tonight, yeah,

and just do exactly what you've done from the very start,

which is work hard.

I know all of you.

I know exactly what you're capable of,

but I also know, as well, what your little frailties are.

I'm looking for your perfect game,

and that's the most important thing.

-Let's go, boys!

-Go, boys!

So tonight we're playing a game against the Northern Conference,

and this following week they're going to tell us if we've been

selected for the final team or not,

and hopefully I'll play well and make it.

As one of the youngest players on the ice,

Aren's got to work even harder to impress the coaches.

-WHISTLE BLOWS

-This season I've been really,

like, pushing hard, because I want to succeed,

and this is the age group where everyone else is getting bigger and

stronger, and you have to match that and be even better than them.

# I'm gonna live my life like it's never enough

# Like I'm born to run

# I'm gonna spend my time like tomorrow won't come

# Do whatever I want

# Like I'm born to run... #

To get in Conference, you've got to have a great attitude,

a great work ethic.

Somebody like Aren, he works hard on the ice.

He's, you know, one of the first to get changed,

first out and ready to be on the ice as well.

He brings a lot to the table, but, like I say,

so do the other guys that are trying to look for a spot as well.

Conference is a huge deal because you get to go and play

in the biggest tournament in the UK,

and, like, even scouts from other countries come to that tournament,

because they know that's where the best players will be.

BUZZER, WHISTLE BLOWS

If you make the team, you know that people think good of you,

and people think that you're a good player,

so hopefully I'll make it.

Aren will just have to be patient until he hears if he got through.

-How much cooking stuff do you have?

-I know...

Lucy's best friend Anna has come round to give her moral support,

as her struggles with Josh are playing on her mind.

Oh, yeah.

It looks like scrambled eggs.

14... 14 minutes?

So, what's your routine like for the next competition?

It's a really nice routine.

I think it brings out the character in me and Josh,

and there's always loads of tricks and stuff to wow the judges.

So, how well do you tend to get on with Josh?

We get on pretty well.

Yeah, there's times where if it's a really early start,

we're both, like, tired and we both often don't really speak as much,

because it's really early morning,

and I know he's not much of a morning person.

I understand that.

But so far, yeah, it's going good.

Me and Josh, like, we're quite good at taking criticism,

and we're good at taking it off each other,

so we're constantly helping each other to improve.

Um...

LUCY EXHALES

So, what does it feel like to be in the situation that you are,

like, not sure whether you're going to be

skating with Josh again after the British?

Well, I'm not too sure, to be honest,

because he's always mentioning how he enjoys having,

like, a normal life,

like, meeting up with friends and that,

and I can never really tell if it's because of the partnership

or because he just doesn't enjoy it any more.

When me and Josh are skating, we have such a good partnership,

and sometimes we do fall out,

but the fact that that might all go away is, like...

..quite upsetting, really, because I know we've trained so hard together

and got along quite well,

and we've done so much and spent so much time together.

It really is quite sad.

Lucy's doing all she can to make her partnership with Josh work,

but any relationship can be complicated.

It makes baking cakes seem simple.

Let's have a sneak peek.

-They just need a bit more browning on the top.

-Yeah.

A few more minutes, then.

But for the Icicles...

-How's everyone feeling?

-Good.

-Excited, yeah.

..the day of reckoning is here.

-ALL:

-Whoo!

It's the British today.

To hold on to their title as British champions, the Icicles have to be

number one in their category. CHEERING

60 teams across all categories have come to Nottingham,

desperate to win a title.

We've come here as the reigning champions,

and that adds a lot of pressure,

because we can't be complacent with our routine...

You've got to smile. You've got such a good face.

..so we need to really, really focus and keep our eye on the prize.

That was good, wasn't it?

Yeah, man!

Yeah, man!

But the team also have their sights set on an even higher goal.

Right, are we ready, second group?

The British is really important for the girls,

because if they win the competition and they get the score

that they need, then that allows them, then, to be able to

go to World Championships, which this year is in Canada.

Not only are we trying to defend our title of being British champions,

which we have been for the last four or five years now,

but we really want to win,

just so that we can feel confident that we will end up

going to the Worlds in Canada,

which I think all the girls are really excited about.

Five, six, seven...

To try and secure a win at the championships

and a place at the Worlds,

the Icicles have taken a huge risk,

with their most complicated routine ever,

and, so far, it hasn't been easy.

People are getting sloppy.

Shh!

You guys had absolutely zero speed down.

I don't even know how you managed to do the spiral.

The Bollywood routine is quite hard to grasp,

because we were training so, so hard, and...

It just wasn't quite there.

Bollywood's quite energetic and intense,

cos you're on the go all the time.

Yeah, there's a lot more arm movements.

Skippity-skip, step, step.

Where is the pushing?

Go again.

When we did go for the Bollywood theme,

we knew that it wouldn't be an easy thing to pull off,

because obviously it's such a big dance theme.

It's definitely the most trickiest routine

that they've ever had before.

A risky routine isn't the only worry.

At the end of last season,

the four most experienced skaters left the team.

This year we do have a few younger skaters skating with the Icicles,

so it makes it more tricky, definitely.

Georgia is one of the newest team members.

How are you feeling about the Bollywood today, Georgia?

Are you nervous, or more excited?

I get nervous when we stand by the side of

the barrier before we get on.

-That's when I get nervous.

-Yeah.

I'm nervous because it's just that everybody's watching you.

You just don't want to make a mistake, cos you're not

letting yourself down, you're letting everybody down.

Because we've made our programme a lot harder this year,

it's obviously harder for the younger ones.

They've been thrown in the deep end.

We need to make sure we've got all of our arms right in our Bollywood

-routine, because it is really hard.

-Yeah.

It's something that we've never really done before,

so that might make it a bit harder,

but I'm really confident that we can pull it off.

There is a big gap between the younger ones and the older ones

on the team this season,

but I'm hoping that we've bridged that.

We all have worked so hard together.

The whole team's going to be there to support you.

-Yeah, definitely.

-Cos I remember when I first joined, as well,

and all of them were so old, even...

Alex was in it, and I thought Alex was scary!

It's my first time at...with Icicles at the British,

so I am feeling a bit nervous.

Just getting all the arms correct for, erm,

Bollywood, I don't want to be the one to go wrong and mess it up.

It's definitely a gamble and a risk that we're taking,

but we've just got to hope that it pays off and actually gives us more

points at the end of the competition.

At the end of the season, teams with enough points qualify

for the British Championships... CHEERING

..and if their score is high enough on the day,

they not only win the cup

but qualify for the World Championships, too.

One, two, three, four.

But today, the only team close to the Icicles' current lead

are right here.

And left, right, left.

Step. Chasse.

Meet the Solway Stars,

who are determined to take the cup off the Icicles

and back home to Scotland.

For months at their home rink in Dumfries,

the junior team have been busy training for

their first ever British Championships.

When you get to a level like juniors,

you need to really push yourself.

We know it's going to be tough against the Icicles,

so you can't just keep doing the old stuff that you've always done.

I'd say this team is really talented.

We're having to push ourselves, so everyone's responding really well

to the challenges that we're facing.

The Solway Stars only got together officially in 2016.

You know, I can remember when they first all started

on our learning to skate programme,

so I've watched them come through from their first steps onto the ice

to where they are today.

I like to be competitive, along with my team.

The Icicles are strong, and they always come up with good programmes.

From the moment that you get to that rink, you're wanting to be the best.

CHEERING If the Icicles are going to

beat the Solway Stars,

they'll have to match them, not only in skills but in passion too.

You have had so many people come up to you

saying how much they love you.

Do it for the people and yourselves.

It's an anxious time for the Icicles,

as the Solway Stars take to the ice first.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

All the Icicles can do now is wait and watch.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

WHISTLING

I think it was a wake-up call for all of us.

Having another team against you definitely brings on the pressure.

-Solway definitely put 110% in.

-Yeah.

But I think once you step on the ice,

it's like, "I've got to compete now. I'll put 150% in."

-Yeah.

-But it's good, it's healthy having competition,

cos sometimes we're complacent.

Yeah, it makes you fight for it more, as well.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

CHEERING

What a brilliant performance from the Solway Stars.

INDISTINCT TANNOY ANNOUNCEMENT

SCREAMING It's a fantastic result -

a personal best of 61.3.

For the first time in five years,

it looks like the Icicles could be going home empty-handed.

Because Solway got a previous score that we had actually got

-at a previous competition.

-Yeah.

It was quite scary, because we thought,

"Well, they've caught up to us now."

-Yeah.

-We're going to have to try and do better.

You can do this. Go. Come on, girls.

-We're going to do you proud.

-Yes, Cara!

I think all of my girls know that they have to bring more to the show,

and it's not just about the points, it's actually about winning.

Just one skate stands between the Icicles and skating glory...

Let's hug it out.

-CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

-Go for it.

..and sometimes the waiting can be the hardest part.

Aren, what do you want on your sandwiches, darling?

I'll have cheese. Yeah.

Do you want butter on them?

-Yes, please.

-All right.

Since the start of the season,

ice hockey player Aren and his family have been adjusting to life

without big brother Rais.

It's a bit weird, him not being around here, Mum.

I just find it so quiet.

And now I've just got, like, Dad nagging at me

whenever I do anything wrong.

But remember when you wanted to be...

You kept saying, "Oh, it'd be quite nice to be an only child."

-No?

-No.

-So it's not as good as you thought it was going to be?

After being spotted by an international scout,

15-year-old Rais was selected to go and play for a team in Canada.

You're definitely not having my room, not a chance.

OK, that's not what Mum said.

Well, it definitely is what Mum said,

because she said you're definitely not having my room

because it's my room.

Mum, please can I have Rais's room?

No, you can't have his room.

No-one's in it.

It's one of the biggest rooms in the house and no-one's using it.

Like, imagine how much tidier my room would be if it was in his room.

There's double the amount of space so it means there's

double the amount of space to get dirty.

Yes, I am willing to make that compromise.

I am willing to clean my room more often, just so I get that room.

The answer is no.

The problem with my room is it is so small, I can't do anything.

I don't even have the space to hang things up,

and I can touch wall-to-wall.

So basically, this is Rais's room.

As you can see, it is a lot bigger, and I don't really think

I can touch the walls in this one.

So, basically, what I'm going to do is I'm going to get a couple of

things from my wall and I'm going to swap them with things in

Rais's room, so that when we're video-chatting,

he'll think that I've actually got it.

It's almost go time.

Let's see his reaction.

COMPUTER CHIMES

Aren's prank isn't the only reason he wants to catch up with

his big brother.

So, Rais, are you all right?

Yeah, I'm fine, thanks.

He has exciting news for Rais about his Conference trial.

I'm here to tell you I made Conference.

-Oh, good job. Good job. Well done.

-Cheers.

It's really hard, I mean, but it should be good.

It's a good chance to play for England again.

You're going to have to adapt to play at a high level,

so, yeah, it's good. It's all good.

How is school? What's the hockey like?

It's a lot harder.

School, gym, hockey, all the time.

It's intense, but I'm enjoying it, yeah.

So, is it a lot different in Canada?

Yeah, it's colder, for one thing.

It's a big culture change.

I mean, the food's different.

The music, things like that.

Just the little things that you wouldn't really think about,

but, I mean, it's what you've got to do to

try and be the best you can in hockey,

and just do what you've got to do.

It's 4am in the morning in Canada, so Rais is half-asleep,

and he doesn't seem to have noticed his brother's prank yet.

So, do you notice anything different?

Are you in my room?

Yeah.

What are you doing in my room?

What, haven't you heard?

Mum said that we're allowed... I'm allowed to have your room now.

No, she hasn't.

Why is my stuff in your room, then?

You see that shirt? You see that shirt right there?

-Yeah. That's mine, isn't it?

-Yeah?

Yeah, open the wardrobe.

Yeah, I don't use your wardrobe.

Well, exactly. You don't use my wardrobe cos all my stuff's in it.

Look, my stick's there as well.

Oh, your sticks are there.

Wow, two sticks.

Yeah, and that means it's your room, then, doesn't it, obviously?

It does. Look, my bedding. My bedding.

Yeah, you're probably in there for a night.

Rais, I think you've figured this out.

I haven't really got your room.

Oh, really? Oh, I didn't know that, sorry, Aren, yeah...!

I thought you actually had my room... Oh!

-Oh, OK, that's...

-You fooled me...

-Great prank, Aren, great prank...

-Oh, dear.

Well done. So, basically, Aren, remove all your stuff,

get it out now and get out of my room, to be honest with you.

Just move. Get out.

I think he bought it for a second or so, but, you know,

I guess I'm going to have to get out and get lost

because, you know, he said so.

I'm the younger brother, so I've got to do what he says, as always.

Oh, well, Aren may not have got Rais's bedroom,

but following in his footsteps and making it into the Conference League

is a pretty big achievement.

My best skating moment is probably when I won the British with Josh.

My biggest achievement on the ice is probably qualifying for

the Junior European Championships.

Mine is when I came second in the British.

My biggest achievement on ice is probably

getting grade eight in three weeks.

Yeah.

CHEERING

Come on, girls.

Back at the British Championships,

it's the moment of truth for the Icicles.

They're going to have to skate like never before if they're going to

beat the Solway Stars's score and win the Championships.

-Stepping out, it was, ooh, scary!

-It was a scary moment.

But just a few seconds into their warm-up,

one of the Icicles takes a tumble.

GROANING

Emily fell over, and she, like, rolled around the ice for a bit,

and we were all a bit like, "Oh, what's she doing?"

And then we thought, "That's it, the fall's over with now.

"We'll have a good, clean skate."

-Yeah, she took the fall out of the way, so it's all good.

-Yeah.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE One slip like that in the

performance, and all dreams of

going to the World Championships in Canada will lie in tatters.

MUSIC: Jai Ho (You Are My Destiny) by AR Rahman and The Pussycat Dolls

Good girls!

-# Jai ho

-I got shivers when you touch my face

# I'll make you hot Get all you got

-# I'll make you wanna say

-Jai ho... #

Keep going!

You can tell that a performance is, like, going well

because everyone looks at each other throughout the routine and you know.

It's something you feel.

# Jai ho

# I keep it steady cos steady is how I do it

# Jai ho... #

Keep going!

Good girls! Come on! Good girls.

Come on, yes! Out!

You can do it!

# Jai ho... #

Go!

# Jai ho

# Jai ho. #

CHEERING

Well done. Well done. I'm so proud of you all.

What an amazing skate.

The girls, their costumes,

their make-up and their performance looked stunning,

but have they done enough?

The Solway Stars got 61.3 points.

To become British Champions for the fifth year running,

and to qualify for the World Championships,

the Icicles need to beat 61.3.

INDISTINCT TANNOY ANNOUNCEMENT

SCREAMING

And that means...

We're going to Canada!

THEY SCREAM

So, we knew that Bollywood would be an ambitious programme,

but look at the girls.

They pulled it off.

And it looked great. I'm so proud of them.

-I'm so happy!

-That means we get to go to Worlds! Whoo!

We're going to Worlds!

That's great!

-I feel great too!

-Whoo!

That is the best score we've ever had. Oh!

This is the best day in my whole, entire life,

and this is my first season in juniors,

so to say that I'm a British champion in Team Icicles

is just amazing.

CHEERING

I'm just really overwhelmed.

Like, words can't describe how happy, I think,

not just me but everybody is because people that have skated in the team

longer have always waited to go to a big competition like Canada.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

Seeing as the Bollywood routine is the hardest routine we've ever,

ever done, we've done really well.

We've had the highest score that we've ever got here,

and it was a really good choice picking Bollywood.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

Next time on Ice Stars...

God, you're going to not be in there.

..wannabe netminder Destiny finds herself in at the deep end.

Oh, God. I'm quite nervous about having pucks launched at me.

Ah!

It feels completely new and I'm struggling.

APPLAUSE

It's the British Ice Dance Championships,

and make or break time for Josh and Lucy's partnership.

I think we're going into it with quite a professional attitude,

and just trying to concentrate on the competition.

We're just going to go out there and skate our best and hopefully win.