Ex-EastEnder Todd Carty gets his skates on in Worthing

9:42am Tuesday 2nd February 2010

By Paul Holden

Former EastEnders actor Todd Carty cannot walk down the street without somebody mentioning his slapstick skating in Dancing On Ice.

Good sport Todd played up to the crowd when he donned skates for the first time in six months for the launch of Worthing’s open-air ice rink on Saturday.

He self-mockingly crossed himself, placed his hands over his eyes and wobbled a bit. But Todd stayed on his feet and at times showed a clean pair of blades under a cloudless, deep blue sky.

Todd said: “This is the first time I have donned the infamous skates in about six months.

“I cannot walk 100 yards without people asking, ‘Are you going back on the ice?’ “One woman said she was asthmatic and almost choked to death laughing when she saw me in Dancing On Ice.

“I will never forget it as long as I live and, to be honest, I don’t think anybody will let me forget it.

Todd was helping to launch a new charity called Talent Within You,which aims to help youngsters like budding British Olympic skater Jack Ford, 13, from Worthing, achieve their dreams.

Jack showed off his skills at the Steyne Gardens rink, which will be open throughout February.

The arena, which cost £115,000 to hire, has been subsidised by Worthing Borough Council and Worthing Town Centre Initiative to the tune of £25,000 apiece.

Organisers hope the £65,000 balance will be met by skaters, who have booked 6,000 tickets in advance – almost double the total last year.

Worthing town centre manager Sharon Clarke, who brought the rink to the town, said it attracted people from as far afield as Peacehaven and Farnham, Surrey, who went on to spend money in the town’s shops, cafés and restaurants.

She added: “It’s one of those events the whole town embraces. It’s such fun to see people enjoying themselves.”

Among the first on the ice were nineyear- old triplets Zoe, Emily and Kara Brown, of Henty Road, Worthing.

They were later joined by East Worthing and Shoreham MP Tim Loughton, borough council chief executive Ian Lowrie and wheelchair-bound councillor Norah Fisher with her labradoodle help dog Herbie.

The oldest and most experienced skater was Hami Brown, 84, of Querneby Close, Shoreham. Mr Brown, a former ice hockey player, skated professionally in shows including Holiday On Ice until the age of 67.

He was watched by his wife, Hanna Eigel, who told how she was twice European ice skating champion during the 1950s.