Who is Eddie ‘The Eagle’ Edwards? Former Winter Olympic skier and Dancing on Ice star
EDDIE 'The Eagle’ Edwards is back on our screens with the latest season of Dancing On Ice.
The star was a latecomer to the competition, replacing Gogglebox star Stephen Lustig-Webbddie who had to withdraw due to an injury.
Who is Eddie the Eagle?
Eddie captured the world's imagination in 1988 when he competed in the ski jump at the Calgary Winter Olympics - Britain's first competitor in the hair-raising event since 1929.
More than a stone heavier than his nearest rival and wearing large glasses that steamed up as he jumped, Eddie finished 73rd out of 73 jumpers.
But he emerged from the games more famous than any of the other competitors at that year's Games.
His efforts even earned him the British record with a leap of 73.50 metres.
A good downhill skier, plasterer Edwards switched to the ski jump in a bid to make the Winter Games.
He was seen by many to embody the Olympic spirit and became a celebrity overnight with appearances on The Tonight Show in America.
His story was made into the movie Eddie the Eagle in 2016, with Taron Egerton in the title role and Hugh Jackman as Edwards' coach.
What is Eddie the Eagle's real name?
He is known across the globe as Eddie the Eagle Edwards - but Eddie is not his actual name, only a nickname.
The Winter Olympian's name is Michael.
The name Eddie came during his time at school, who nicknamed him Eddie because of his surname.
Is Eddie The Eagle married and does he have any children?
Eddie met his wife Samantha Morton while working as a part-time radio presenter.
They married in Las Vegas in 2003 and had two daughters together, Otillie and Honey May.
However, in 2014 Sam dropped a bombshell when he returned home from a TV interview in Germany, saying she wanted to leave him.
Opening up about the divorce at the time, he told The Sun: "It's been the worst two years of my life. The darkest, definitely.
"I wouldn't wish it on anybody. But s**t happens. You've got to think life can give you some bad knocks, no matter how hard you're knocked you've got to get up.
"We are still relatively close and I see the kids as much as I can."
What TV shows has Eddie The Eagle appeared in?
Eddie, who was portrayed by the actor Taron Egerton in the 2016 biopic about his life Eddie the Eagle, has made several TV appearances in recent years.
He's had stints on ITV's The Masked Dancer and a spin-off from the hit series The Masked Singer.
In January 2014, he was a commentator on the Channel 4 show The Jump.
On January 8, 2024, it was announced that Eddie had joined the Dancing On Ice lineup.
Edd
He was originally paired with professional skater Tippy Packard but she had to pull out after sustaining a knee injury during their training.
After coming in late to the competition, Eddie said he has been trying to catch up with the other contestants.
He said: "There’s a lot of pressure now that everybody thinks I’m going to be a really, really good skater.
“I’m a really, really bad skater at the moment. It’s a completely different sport. When I ski I automatically get myself into a certain stance.
"That stance is not a good stance for skating, which is why I keep falling on my face, because I’m used to arching my back and going forwards."