Melinda gets her skates on - twice!... 

...and survives her first week of ITV's Dancing on Ice

 

Won the skate-off: Melinda Messenger

There was a slight stumble - then a mishap with her teeth.

 

But after a nervous skate-off against former Eastender Gemma Bissix, Swindon's Melinda Messenger glided her way into week three of Dancing on Ice tonight.

 

Cheered on by family and friends in the ITV studio, Melinda impressed the judges with her original routine alongside pro skater Fred Palascak - except for critic Jason Gardiner, who described her debut performance as '...like an ornamental pooch'!

 

An act that didn't fair well either with the public, who voted the former page 3 model as one of the worst two performers on the night.

 

"It was utterly terrifying, to be honest," Melinda exclaimed, "especially having to do it all over again after being in the final two.

 

"But I've made it through my first week!

 

"And that feels brilliant!"

 

Former Liberty-X singer Jessica Taylor came out tops in the judges and public vote and is now considered the early favourite to win.