Dan's right at home with Cheryl

Blackpool professional skater Dan has moved in with the 63-year-old Bucks Fizz singer, specifically a cottage in her garden, to ensure the pair can spend extra time learning their tricky dance moves.

Dan, who is the TV’s shows’s most successful professional, with three wins under his belt, is an old hand on the series and knows how vital it is to have enough time to put the practice in.

After the show returned last Sunday for the its live TV launch, he said; “It’s really important that you have a good connection with your dance partner and I’ve been really lucky with that over the years.

“I immediately clicked with Cheryl and it already feels like I’ve known her for years.

“In fact I’m living with her at her beautiful farmhouse near Tunbridge Wells, in a cottage in the garden.

“It means we can spend time together when we’re not on the ice, which is really important.

“The first week isn’t so bad because everyone has a bit of time to prepare, but after that you hardly have any time at all, from one week to the next.

“So when we’re not on the ice, we’ve been practising our steps, lifts and tricks in the kitchen and the lounge!”

Dan, 41, added: “To be honest it feels great to be back and it has been emotional.

“I’m loving every single minute of it.”

The new series, which has returned after a four-year break, continues this Sunday night.