jason donovan on dancing on ice
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Dancing on Ice contestant Jason Donovan: All you need to know about the ex Neighbours star

The Australian actor and singer will be adding ice skating to his list of many talents

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Jason Donovan has joined the cast of Dancing on Ice for the upcoming series, due to start early next year.

The Australian legend has been confirmed alongside Denise van Outen, Myleene Klass, Faye Brookes, Colin Jackson, Joe-Warren Plant and Graham Bell.

Jason Donovan Dancing on Ice
Jason Donovan may need to adapt to the cold on Dancing on Ice (Credit: ITV)

Read more: Dancing on Ice star Faye Brookes: Who is she and why did she leave Corrie?

Here’s everything you need to know about the Aussie star.

Who is Jason Donovan?

Jason captured the hearts of the nation in the 80s as Scott Robinson in Neighbours.

He became a huge pop superstar, best known for his perky pop hits like Too Many Broken Hearts, Especially For You, Every Day and Every Dream Will Do.

Where was he born?

Jason was born on June 1 1968 to Sue McIntosh and British born actor Terence Donovan.

He grew up in the Melbourne suburb of Malvern Victoria.

Terence was granted full custody of Jason when he split with Jason’s mum in 1973.

Jason appeared on the BBC show Who Do You Think You Are? in 2010.

He discovered he’s actually a descendant of a man called William Cox, who built the first road across Australia’s Blue Mountains!

jason donovan on strictly
Jason with Kristina Rihanoff on Strictly Come Dancing (Credit: BBC)

Is Jason married?

Jason exchanged vows with Angela Malloch in a surprise ceremony in Bali in 2008.

He whisked his girlfriend away with a few friends to celebrate his 40th birthday.

Once there, he popped the question to Angela and then surprised her with a wedding ceremony. Aww, romantic, eh?

Jason Donovan with wife Angela
Jason with his wife Angela (Credit: SplashNews)

Did Jason date Kylie?

Kylie and Jason played lovebirds Charlene and Scott on Neighbours.

The characters eventually tied the knot in a ratings-smashing ceremony.

Read more: Win a £250 Amazon Voucher!

The pair did date in real life, they later admitted.

jason donovan and kylie minogue reunite
Jason and Kylie reunited on stage in 2018 (Credit: BBC)

Kylie later dated INXS rocker Michael Hutchence, who stole her from Jason with his devilish rock’n’roll ways!

Jason admits he finds it hard to talk about his former flame and that losing her to Michael was a “pretty big punch to take”.

He said: “It was an extremely painful parting of the ways and, without doubt, I took a long time to recover from it. Years, definitely.”

He added: “It was bad enough that she’d run off with anybody, but she happened to run into the arms of the greatest rock god of the period, the very guy who I secretly wanted to be. That was a pretty big punch to take.”

Jason Donovan pictured in 1989
Jason Donovan pictured during his heyday in 1989 (Credit: Rudi Keuntje/Geisler-Fotopress/DPA/Cover Images)

Does Jason have children?

Jason has three kids – Jemma, 20, Zac, 19, and nine-year-old Molly.

Jemma stars in Neighbours and once revealed that her father cried when he found out she had landed a role in the show.

Jason admits that his youngest daughter is thrilled he’s joining Dancing on Ice.

He told Phil and Holly on This Morning: “My daughter Molly is very excited about me doing shapes on the dancefloor, or maybe not… Depending on how it goes!”

jason donovan children
Jason with two of his three children – Jemma and Zac (Credit: SplashNews)

What other TV shows has Jason appeared on?

Jason has cropped up in many TV shows such as Ready Steady Cook, Strictly Come Dancing and Piers Morgan’s Life Stories.

Most recently, he was humiliated in the cringey new ITV2 series Celebrity Karaoke Club when Ibiza Weekender nitwit David Potts failed to recognise him as he belted out Jason’s hit Too Many Broken Hearts!

Has Jason skated before?

Jason showed he had some rhythm during his time on Strictly. But can the big galah balance on ice skates?

He says: “Skating is all about balance and confidence. I’ve done a little bit of skating in my youth, in Australia, surprisingly in the heat of an Australian summer.”

Poster

He added: “I’ve surfed, I’ve skied a lot, so I guess I’ll bring a little bit of that confidence.”

Did Jason really go off the rails?

Jason turned from squeaky clean to badboy after losing Kylie to Michael Hutchence.

He turned to drugs and once admitted to taking around three grams of cocaine a day at the height of his addiction in 1995.

He overdosed at Kate Moss’ 21st birthday party at the Viper Room in Los Angeles where – embarrassingly – he came face to face with his love rival Michael Hutchence.

Jason quit drugs in 2000, the year his first child Jemma was born.

When is Jason Donovan on Dancing on Ice?

Jason Donovan will debut on week one of Dancing on Ice with his dance partner Alexandra Schauman.

Dancing on Ice starts Sunday January 17 at 6pm on ITV1.

Will you be supporting Jason Donovan on Dancing on Ice? Let us know on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix.


Helen Fear
TV Editor