Antony Cotton has revealed he’s in severe pain after fracturing his ribs during a nasty Dancing On Ice training accident.
The Coronation Street star was taken to hospital on Wednesday after being crushed during a painful fall on the ice.
But appearing with pro skate partner Brandee Malto on Friday’s This Morning, the soap actor insisted he would continue in the competition.
Antony, 42, said: “It’s my choice to carry on. I have broken [ribs] at the front and the back. It was a mishap, it was nobody’s fault. We basically fell backwards and Brandee landed on top of me and crushed me.
“But never in my career have I phoned in sick ever. Not once. And I’m not phoning in sick now.”
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The accident happened as Antony and Brandee rehearsed their Sunday performance.
Antony, who plays Sean Tully in Corrie, said the whole thing happened very quickly but he had time to adjust himself during the fall so he didn’t land on his head.
He said: “I went down on my back and my ribs were crushed at the front and back.
“I knew it was bad but the worst part was I physically couldn’t breathe and there was nobody around. As I was snatching breath, I was doing it audibly as I thought they’d notice if I wasn’t breathing.”
Brandee said: “I was so scared. I really thought I had killed him as he couldn’t breathe and he was lying on the ice telling me to get help. I was happy he took a breath, but I didn’t want to leave him.”
After help arrived, Antony spent around ten minutes lying on the ice as he was checked over.
He said the recovery period is usually four to six weeks and Dancing On Ice bosses told him it was his decision whether or not to continue.
For Antony, however, there was no question what he’d do.
“At the end of the day, it’s horrendous pain. I have painkillers. But Brandee has come all the way from California and we’ve got to the point in the competition where we’ve worked hard and I’m not going without a fight.”
Antony added that the fall hasn’t made him afraid of the ice, and he and Brandee were back to training as soon as they could.
A representative for Dancing On Ice confirmed to ED!: “Antony fell on the ice during training and as a precaution was taken to a nearby hospital.
“He has since been released and is now resting ahead of the live show this weekend.”
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Best of luck on Sunday, Antony.
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