Michaela Strachan’s Heartbreaking Confession Shakes Fans Ahead of Dancing On Ice Final

Michaela Strachan has won over Dancing On Ice fans with her incredible performances alongside professional partner Mark Hanretty. Topping the leaderboard and charming viewers with her personality, she’s now a frontrunner to claim the trophy, ahead of fellow finalists Sam Aston and Anton Ferdinand.

But before lacing up her skates, Michaela, 58, admitted that taking on a competition like Dancing On Ice was a daunting prospect—mainly because she struggles with criticism. Reflecting on her long TV career, she confessed that being in the public eye can be tough, according to the Express.

“We are really lucky with our audience because I think Springwatch is the sort of programme that people only watch if they like wildlife,” she previously told the Express in 2022. “It’s not like so many other programmes that people tune into whether they like it or not and then they just seem to really enjoy abusing it.”

She admitted that dealing with negativity isn’t her strong suit. “I would say at least 90 percent of our social media is very positive which is good because I’m not very good at not being liked. I like to be liked! I would be absolutely hopeless if people chucked abuse at me.”

Michaela also reflected on how different things were when she started in TV over 35 years ago. “I am very glad that social media wasn’t a thing when I started out presenting The Wide Awake Club. It would have mortified me to think what people were saying.”

Despite her fears, Michaela has thrown herself into the Dancing On Ice competition with incredible dedication—especially after a difficult and emotional year. Speaking on the Marie Curie Couch podcast, she revealed that 2023 was filled with personal loss, calling it a “relentless” time for her and her loved ones.

“There was a lot of loss in my close circle of family and friends, starting off at the beginning of the year with the passing of my sister-in-law who died of cancer… she suffered for three years and eventually passed in January.”

Her grief deepened as her partner, Nick Chevallier, was also dealing with heartbreak. His ex-wife was battling cancer at the same time his sister passed away, making the loss even harder to bear. Then, in a tragic turn of events, Nick’s best friend died suddenly of a heart attack.

The sorrow didn’t stop there. Michaela shared the devastating story of a close friend’s son, who died at just 35, saying, “It was heartbreakingly sad to watch a mother go through that kind of loss.”

But the loss that hit her hardest was that of her dear friend Lucy, who had battled the same type of breast cancer that Michaela herself had survived. “Here I am 10 years later and I am fine. My friend wasn’t so fortunate. Hers returned and spread, and we lost her last year.”

Despite everything she’s been through, Michaela has channelled her strength into her Dancing On Ice journey, proving to be a true fighter both on and off the ice. As she heads into the final, fans will no doubt be cheering her on—not just for her skating skills, but for the resilience and grace she’s shown through it all.