The Edge of Glory Ice Stars

We really want to win so that we will end up going

to worlds in Canada.

SCREAMING AND CHEERING

-BOTH:

-We're going to Canada.

Skating with Josh just feels natural because we've skated together

so long and we're really good friends.

The Icicles are up against the best young synchro skaters at the

Junior World Championship.

You represented your country and that is something you should be

-amazingly proud of.

-Icicles!

With just a week to go before the end of season gala,

Josh and Kloe face a costume nightmare.

It just felt so uncomfortable.

And it looks like Jellie will have to forget their long-awaited return

to the ice.

I can't do lifts at the minute.

We'd like to welcome on board the Great Britain

junior synchronised ice skating team who are going to Toronto to compete

at the World Championships there.

Canada!

Hi, guys.

She just gave me loads of pretzels because she's

nice, even though I've had my own bag.

After success at this year's British Championships,

the Icicles are heading on a 3,500 mile adventure.

We're only halfway through the flight.

We're getting to watch a film now, so see you later.

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Toronto.

They've arrived in Canada's biggest city, Toronto,

to compete in the World Junior Championships.

This bit.

The flight was eight hours. It was really long.

All the team's excited to be here and there so much energy

and we've started, like, vlogging.

-I feel like Fiona's the...

-Camera woman.

I might roll in commentary, add a few bits here and there,

a bit of info.

We've been in the room five seconds

and we've already lost both of our keys.

It's a good start.

-I'm the team masseuse.

-No, you're not.

-I'm not. That's a lie.

This may be an amazing experience,

but it's also proving to be a nerve-racking one.

Can you believe it's the comp tomorrow?

It's worlds, like, it can't get any bigger.

Before I get on, that's when I'll be most nervous.

Because you have, like, loads of eyes watching you skate.

If you mess up, then you'll feel like you've let the team down.

Well, this is my, like, first time away from home.

It's really nice, because it's just kind of like being with your family.

We've got our Great Britain jackets.

We're representing our country.

So we have to make sure that we skate our best.

I think that adds an extra bit of pressure.

But the more experienced Icicles know how to keep everyone relaxed.

Let me just fix that.

-You look amazing.

-You're doing it for me.

For some of them, Canada will mark the end of an era.

This is going to be my last World Championship because I'm going

off to Uni next year, and it's not just me,

there might be a few older ones also going their separate ways.

So that really means that we all want to perform to our best.

I think a lot of people want to make it, like, special and end on a high.

When we perform, we'll be performing to a full crowd

and we're going to go out with a bang.

But before any skating gets underway, the girls have a secret

scheme planned for their beloved coach, Esther, at

-tonight's dinner.

-Do you think she's going to be surprised?

-Do you think she knows?

-I think she'll love it.

-Going to come out and throw them all over the place.

-Yeah.

And all the other teams can look at us like we're crazy,

-but we know what's going on.

-Yeah!

We're throwing Esther a wedding party, because she's getting married

in a few months.

We've got her a cake and, of course, a tiara, because she is a princess.

We just want to celebrate her wedding.

OK, I'll go out and make sure she's not there before you.

Go, go, go.

Esther has no idea of the surprise,

and with all the other teams also arriving for dinner,

the girls have to be sneaky to avoid detection.

You need to check out the lobby for us.

Stop. Go, go, go, go, go.

She's going to love that. Imagine if that the cake fell on the floor.

Guys, it would not be my fault.

I love this, it's like secret spies.

-Esther!

-Esther!

Thanks for my cake.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

A beautiful cake they've organised for me today.

Very thoughtful, I'm very grateful.

Would anybody like some cake?

Come to my wedding.

She was really cringed out at the start, but she just went with it

and I think she's had quite a good time with it.

She looked really happy, and the cake was so amazing.

Just got a fork and digged in, and we invited all of the other teams as well,

so that was really nice.

Esther's going to be a beautiful bride.

A little bit embarrassing, but hey-ho!

And hopefully, it's relieved a little bit of stress

before the competition starts tomorrow.

Back in Nottingham, there's only a week until the biggest event

in the rink's calendar.

Those arms, they cannot come loose.

The annual gala.

Hundreds of skaters will take to the ice to wow the crowd,

so every detail has to be perfect.

One, two, three, four.

Kick up, kick up.

And overseeing everyone is coach, Tamara.

Line, line, line, line.

Yeah, starting with the right, starting with the left.

We've decided for all the routines to be based on famous Hollywood

movies and for our skaters to represent different characters.

Now come to the line quicker.

We can go for animals, then we have animated characters.

You know, sci-fi themes.

Come on boys, bigger.

At the moment, oh gosh, totally not ready.

This is exactly our problem.

You've got to get there faster.

It's loads of work for the coaches.

Split and you go there.

But that's nothing.

The figure skaters have both a solo and a group number to prepare for.

And not only that, it's come at the worst time.

We've got competitions coming up, like, just around the corner,

and just, like, we're in full training mode,

but at the same time, we know that

the gala is a really important thing and we want to look our best.

Normally we'd practise them for months before we even showed people.

So yeah, it's just really hectic.

And now strong.

I think it's fair to say that I'm really unready, so unready.

I haven't even finished my solo. We have just a few days left.

I forgot. So many places.

The group as well, I don't think I know it as well as the others, but

I just have to kind of work with it.

Last year, ice dancers Josh and Ellie didn't perform together

at the Gala because Ellie took some time away from skating.

With the Jellie duo on a break,

Josh took to the ice with Lauren in her place.

-Hi.

-Hi.

-Do you know what Sophie wants to talk about?

No, do you?

No, I don't know.

Now that Jellie have started training together again,

their coach, Sophie, has something important to discuss.

-Hello.

-Hi.

-You all right, Josh?

-Yeah, thanks.

Are you enjoying being back on the ice, Ellie?

Yeah, it feels really good.

When you stopped skating, it was just before the gala

so was it a bit weird not having been a part of that?

I felt like I missed out while everyone was doing the gala.

I missed it a lot.

Basically I wanted to ask you whether you would like to take part

in it this year. We'd love to have you in it,

so it would be within a dance group number.

So, what do you think? Would you like to do it?

-Do want to do it?

-Yeah!

-Yeah.

-Excellent.

So, we've only got a short period of time till we perform.

It's going to be a challenge, but are you up for it?

-Yeah.

-That's what I like to hear.

-We're really excited, aren't we?

-Yeah, I'm excited.

-I'll try not to drop you, but I can't promise anything.

-Thanks.

You're welcome.

On the other side of the planet,

the Junior World Synchro Championships have begun.

Canada is an ice skating crazy nation,

and the crowds are already going wild.

After their mammoth journey to get here,

the Icicles have to shake it off and get in the zone.

We are absolutely shattered from an eight-hour flight,

but it's an amazing rink.

-So big.

-It's beautiful.

It's very surreal, because for a few of us, this is our first worlds,

but then for everyone, it's Canada, so it's just amazing.

I never thought I would be here.

I've seen some teams before through the internet,

but it's different seeing them live.

Ready, girls? Feet together.

Feet together.

You work all season for the World Championships to get there.

The girls have worked really hard, now they just need to perform.

They'll be skating two routines at the competition with their short

programme up first.

You don't realise how good you are.

Like you're a good team, you skate well.

You've got to get that extra bit more.

But it's going to be who brings it the most on the day, isn't it?

But with 19 teams from the world's top skating nations battling it out,

the Icicles are the underdogs.

The girls know that they're not going to be top three on the podium,

that it's about performing to their best ability

and getting the scores at the best they can do.

I want you to go on the ice and I want you to bomb round,

finish everything off. OK? Let's go.

Five, six, seven, eight.

With the prospect of facing a huge crowd and a wall of judges,

it's unsurprising that the girls skating in their first-ever worlds

are feeling the heat.

I think I'll be nervous when I step on because it's going

-to be a full arena.

-It's very different for the girls,

there's no glass in the barriers, so the audience are a lot closer.

We saw how many people were there. It became very real at that point.

This is it. This is what it's all built up to.

I want you to be out of breath when you get off the ice.

This is three minutes, OK?

But remember, you have to concentrate where your feet

placement go because that's when falls happen.

You are a team, OK? And you perform as a team but regardless,

you've represented your country in Canada and that's already something

you should be amazingly proud of.

-ALL:

-Icicles!

When you walk out of the changing room, you're thinking,

this is what being in synchro has been all about.

We were so in the zone, heads down, getting ready to go on the ice.

And you hear the crowd.

It was one of the scariest things I've ever experienced.

Enjoy it, girls. Just have fun, OK, out there.

Go girls, fast.

-ANNOUNCER:

-Team Great Britain.

As soon as that music comes on, you take your big deep breath,

you can't do anything more.

# Let's call it a day, babe

# I think I know what you're trying to say

# Honey, it's fair play

# We don't have to spell it

# I think I know what you're trying to say... #

We started the programme and then bit by bit,

I think people started to get too nervous or tried too hard.

I sort of felt that something wasn't right.

As we were going into the moves, you could tell that our line

was maybe quite nervous.

-AUDIENCE:

-Oh!

As we went under the leg, me and Eve fell.

I was just thinking that I need to get back up, get back in,

make sure I fight it with everything I have left in me.

We ended up falling in the worst positions.

If you fall over here and the line's over here,

you've never got a chance of getting back on.

So they did an amazing job for no-one else to fall over.

# Do what you have to

# What a shame

# What a loss

# The winner takes

# She takes it all... #

Through the programme, the team may not be talking to you,

but they're still supporting you in a way, like, in the holds,

just pinching you to say, "We can do it."

# What a defeat

# To say the least

# But thank God

# The love is free

# And maybe it's good for you

# It's good for me. #

It's happened now. Accidents happen.

It was very difficult,

almost impossible to hide your emotions in those moments.

Because you've been training for this your whole life.

Girls, you need to pull your shoulders back.

And you have to stand there and smile as best as you can,

which is so hard, because you just want to go,

you want to go back to your hotel, cry.

-ANNOUNCER:

-The score. 42.5.

It's a devastating score.

Off you get.

While the competition has to go on, bruised and battered,

the girls cannot bear to stay and watch.

They head back to the hotel with their dreams in tatters.

As most of Nottingham heads home for a relaxing evening,

over at the rink, it's gone crazy.

Girls, can the rest of you that are ready

go and get where you need to be?

It's the last chance to get things right for the movie themed gala.

We're trying to co-ordinate everything.

But nobody ever said show business was easy.

One, two, three, four.

Hello.

Nothing. One, two.

Nick, do you want to go on the ice?

-I haven't got a mic.

-Huh?

-I haven't got a mic.

-OK...

-The kids are there, they're ready.

But I can get them. I'm having a mare.

All right, you need to be in your opening position.

Who's this side? Quick.

So we don't really know what's going on, but fake it till you make it.

Number one rule.

The next time we'll do it like this, is going to be on the day.

I don't know my routine.

I don't know the group routine, I don't know this ice dance bit, so...

Where are the kids?

I don't know what you were looking at.

So that box is at the wrong gate.

We expected the mess, and we are in the middle of the mess.

The shark costume and the shark have disappeared.

Bobby!

While the other skaters try to get to grips with their routines,

Jellie's whole performance is in jeopardy.

The other day when I was doing my skating,

I fell over and I sprained my wrist, and sprained my thumb.

I can't do lifts at the minute.

And if Josh can't lift Ellie,

there'll be no highlight to their routine.

Do you know what you've done?

We had to have an X-ray,

because they said it could be broke but I've sprained it.

You can't really lift with one hand, can you?

Probably not. In a lift, it hurts quite a bit.

It would be annoying if I couldn't do the gala because

me and Ellie have only just got back together,

so we want to show everybody we can skate well again.

The worst-case scenario is him not being able to do, like,

any of the lifts.

I'm just going to rest my wrist until the gala,

so I don't do any more damage to it.

As doubts loom over Jellie's chances for the show,

it's not going any smoother for those on the ice.

To create their movie character look, Josh, Kloe

and Becky have costumes definitely not made to skate in.

Was the costumes OK?

-No.

-No?

-They're so uncomfortable.

OK, we're going to need some last-minute adjustments, guys.

We're going to need to rehearse in them again, aren't we?

Because they just felt so uncomfortable.

Nothing's been designed specifically for us.

We've kind of just had to make the best of what we've got.

And like, Kloe's costume doesn't fit and none of the material

-feels great.

-They're normal like going out dresses,

so it's really hard to skate in and because of that,

obviously when we move around, it's really hard to control it.

We've just got to put up with it

for the three minutes that we're on the ice.

It's going to be really hard work between now and the gala.

Are we doing it again?

I have to hope for the best, you know.

Now we're starting with this music.

After their devastating first skate,

the Icicles are still feeling the scars from yesterday's performance.

As a team, when we first got off the ice, we were all really upset,

but that's what happens sometimes and you just have to get through it.

I definitely think that the nerves have hit the younger ones,

but we're all sticking together and I've been talking to them.

Bonjour. I think I look glow-y enough, do you?

Today's a new day.

Everyone's so much more enthusiastic and so much more positive about it.

And it's just as well, because the girls now face returning

to the rink to perform again.

But now we've got our Bollywood programme and we've literally got to

bring it as much as possible.

-We've got 32 minutes to do six headpieces.

-Oh, stop.

I don't even want to think about it.

We're just going to show the crowds that we're better

than what we skated yesterday.

Their low first score means it's no longer about their final placing.

Now, it's all about team pride.

Going back to the rink was like going back to the scene of a crime.

I think everyone was focusing on individually what they needed to do.

I just wanted to forget the day before.

Everybody falls at some point.

You just want to get it out of your head so that it doesn't affect

the other programme.

# Boom, crack, sound of my heart... #

They won't be the first team or skater that this happens to.

And it definitely won't be the last,

but they pulled together as a team, they are one.

Today's a new day, it's about getting out a clean programme

and performing and feeling good about themselves.

The team smashed their Bollywood routine at the

British Championships, but with their nerves sky-high,

will they be able to do it again?

The younger ones are very nervous and they're representing

their country.

It's how they handle those nerves is what's most important.

So I just hope that they can relax rather than stress and panic.

Everyone, I want everyone on their feet now.

Pat your legs, get them moving.

Wake those knees up.

And for leavers like Amy and Alex,

this performance will be their last competition memory.

Because it was my last skate competing,

I really wanted it to go well.

For my final skate to be something I'm proud to remember.

-Let's hold hands.

-We're asking for an amazing skate,

that would make our current time at Canada the best ever.

-Please make that come true. Amen.

-All right.

Amy, let's go.

As if the girls didn't have enough to think about already,

they've drawn the dreaded place of skating first.

APPLAUSE AND CHEERING

Go girls, enjoy it.

When I was in the huddle, the key is to tell them to breathe,

you can do this. We need to show how good we can skate.

-ANNOUNCER:

-Team Great Britain.

CHEERING

# When you're ready come and get it

# Na-na-na-na

# Na-na-na-na

# Na-na-na-na

# When you're ready come and get it

# Na-na-na-na

# Na-na-na-na

# Na-na-na-na... #

Go for it, girls.

# When you're ready come and get it

# Na-na-na-na

# Na-na-na-na

# Na-na-na-na... #

About halfway in, I think we all actually knew that we could do it.

We were pushing as hard as we could.

I just remember looking around at all of the team

and even the audience, everyone in there was just smiling.

Clapping along.

And I saw somebody, like, dancing to it, so I was like, "Whoo!"

Keep going!

# When you're ready come and get it

# Na-na-na-na

# Na-na-na-na

# Na-na-na-na

# When you're ready come and get it

# Na-na-na-na

# Na-na-na-na

# Na-na-na-na

# When you're ready

# When you're ready

# When you're ready come and get it

# Na-na-na-na

# Na-na-na-na

# Na-na-na-na. #

Literally, just took the biggest deep breath

and I was like, "We did it."

-Yeah.

-We did it.

We had an amazing skate.

Everyone was a bit nervous because of yesterday,

but they really brought it out today.

-What team?

-ALL:

-Icicles.

We all skated our hearts out.

We wanted to have a clean skate, we wanted to do really well and we did.

We all pulled together and worked together and that's what being a

team's all about.

-ANNOUNCER:

-The programme score. 54.3.

We really bonded together, it's really brought us

together as a team.

I don't think this will be my last junior worlds.

It's deffo not my last junior worlds.

I'll be back next year, wherever it is.

The girls can leave this competition with their heads held high because

they came back with a much better performance

and something that they can be proud of.

Canada was definitely the best.

It was amazing that something like skating can take you

all over the world.

Before the long flight home,

there's one more thing the Icicles have left to do.

I got it! I got an icicle.

It's a natural wonder of the world, Niagara Falls.

It's beautiful. There's so much water.

We need to get the background.

Ready, steady. Go!

This is such a nice way to end the trip.

Shoulders back.

As Amy and Alex's final Icicle adventure draws to a close,

it's clear how big a part synchro has been in their lives.

When I was younger, I just did it because I found it fun.

Oh, my goodness, how cold is it?

Cheese.

OK, that's one.

When I first started,

I never thought I'd ever come to Niagara Falls,

and I'm really grateful for it.

Just because I'm moving away doesn't mean that the friendship stops here,

because the friendships I've made here are lifelong.

-Steady, steady.

-One, two, three.

-It's a rainbow.

-I got it.

Oh, my gosh! I love it.

This has been the best adventure I've ever been on with synchro and

I'd just love to do more things like this.

-Boo!

-Not even funny!

Next time, it's the end of the season for our Ice Stars

and gala day.

Even with Josh's sprain,

Jellie are determined to make their comeback.

I need the toilet. I need to go to the toilet.

It's an emotional night for the Icicles as the team skate together

for the very last time.

We've come such a long way together,

and I hope that we'll all stay in touch.

And Kloe tries falling in love with skating all over again.

I just have to go out and enjoy myself.