W
e’re used to seeing Billie with
her TOWIE pals or alongside
sister Sam Faiers in The
Mummy Diaries – but this
time she’s going it alone. The reality star, 30,
who has kids Nelly, six, and Arthur, three,
with hubby Greg, 35, admits she’s nervous
about performing and that it’ll feel weird
doing something without her sister. But she
is eager to show fans a new side of Billie...
Hey, Billie! How are you feeling
ahead of the live shows?
I’ve really enjoyed training, but I’m such
a nervous person. My biggest challenge
will be overcoming my fear of performing.
I literally go to bed thinking about it
every night. Performing in general is
nerve-racking, but doing it on ice....
Have you found any tricks to calm
your nerves?
My mum and sister are really good at
calming me down.
This is one of the first things you’ve
done without Sam, right?
I think it’ll be nice for people to see a
different side of me. I’ve always played it
safe and done stuff with my sister. It’s like
a security blanket. When I was given this
opportunity, I knew it was now or never.
It’s quite funny that I’m the one doing it.
Sam’s always been sportier. Even when we
went ice skating as kids, she’d be running
off and I’d be holding onto the edge.
Has Gemma Collins been in touch?
When I post anything of us skating
she sends me really lovely, supportive
messages. It’s so nice to have that support.
Have you had any injuries?
I had a nasty fall in the early stages of
training and hit the ice so hard I gave
myself whiplash. I’m not an overly
emotional person, so I was trying to
hold back the tears – but I couldn’t.
Have you managed to watch any
of the other couples?
I’ve tried not to at this stage. I feel good
about my skating at the moment, so I don’t
want to be crushed after seeing other
people and thinking I haven’t got a chance.
What’s Greg’s reaction been like?
He’s been so supportive. I feel very lucky
because it’s a big commitment for us as a
family. He’s been doing all the school runs
and most of the food shopping. He’s set
fire to the kitchen in the past, but he’s
better now and is taking up a lot more
of the cooking.
Have the kids got into skating
since you started?
They’ve both been to the rink and had
a go, but Arthur is definitely better at
it than Nelly. Nelly’s really clumsy
and she even said, “I don’t think
I’m an ice skating girl, Mummy.”
Arthur is really into it though. He
calls Mark “Marky Mark” and
asks him to spin him around.Former TOWIE star Billie Shepherd reveals
how it feels to be going solo for this year’s
contest and how her family are supporting her
‘IT’LL BE NICE FOR PEOPLE TO
SEE A DIFFERENT SIDE OF ME’
With Greg
and kids Nelly
and Arthur