Dancing on Ice 2023: Nile Wilson sobs after being crowned winner as family come out to support gymnast

Nile Wilson has been crowned the winner of Dancing on Ice 2023 after his family came out to watch him take the trophy.

The former Team GB gymnast, 27, from Leeds, was announced as the winner of the figure skating competition on Sunday night after an impressive run on the show.

Nile had been the bookies favourites to win the show since week one and remained at the top of the leaderboard for most of the ITV competition.

After winning the show with fellow Olympic athlete Olivia Smart, 25, from Sheffield, the star broke down in tears as he lifted the trophy.

The emotional YouTube gymnast thanked fans, saying: “I want to thank everyone that voted back home, I really appreciate it.

“I just want to say, if Dancing on Ice is anything other than entertainment, we’ve got eleven human beings all different shapes and sizes stood on this stage tonight with an allocated time to get good at something and we’ve proved that we can do that.

“So what an inspirational show! If you put your mind to something and you work hard you can achieve anything you want.”

Nile made Dancing on Ice history as he became the first male contestant to perform a headbanger move during the final.

The headbanger sees a skater being spun round by their partner from their ankles as their head brushes dangerously close to the ice.

The move is banned by the International Skating Union (ISU), which governs competitive skating, due to the potential danger for the skater.

If the move is performed at an event governed by the ISU, skaters can expect their points to be deducted, however the move is allowed for show skating.

Since being announced for the show, Nile has focused on impressing the judges with something not previously tried on the show.

The judges, Christopher Dean, Jayne Torvill, Oti Mabuse and Ashely Banjo have been setting the former gymnast challenges to try and achieve during his routines.

Challenges included a 2ft high jump, which Nile achieved during his Mission Impossible routine for Movie Week.

Nile Wilson’s family have been in regular attendance to the figure skating competition as they came out to support the former Olympic gymnast.

Nile’s sister Joanna Wilson, 24, took to Instagram to share a photo of her brother and Olivia with the trophy as well as a group photo.

Supporting Nile as he won Dancing on Ice were parents Sally and Neil Wilson, sister Joanna and her boyfriend, gymnast Ashley Watson and Nile’s girlfriend Hermione Wilson.

Nile also had a host of friends come out to support him, including Team GB gymnast teammate Louis Smith and his partner Charlie Bruce, retired cricket player Luke Sutton and friends Luke Stoney and Joey James.

Joanna, who has shared her support for her older brother each week, shared the photos on her Instagram with the caption: “Speechless!!!! My big brother just WON DANCING ON ICE”

Speaking during his appearance on This Morning today (13 March) Nile shared that he just wanted to “get good at skating”.

Talking to hosts Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield, Nile said: “Look, gymnastics, it does help.

“I’ve been asked so many times ‘do you think it’s an advantage’, of course it is. Like, I’ve not said that throughout the whole process but the fundamental body awareness that gymnastics can give you, just allowed me to, I’d watch Oliva do a trick and I’d be like”

Olivia Smart then interrupted the gymnast, adding: “He’s like a sponge.” before Nile went back to saying: “I’d just do it, I’d just try it.”