Bury actress Suzanne Shaw says she has put her skates back on in memory of her father.

The 32-year-old previously won ITV1’s Dancing on Ice series in 2008, and will take to the rink again on Sunday in a tribute to her late father who was a fan of the show.

The ninth series of the show features previous contestants returning to the screen, with other competitors including Olympian Beth Tweddle, former X Factor favourites Ray Quinn and Gareth Gates, and EastEnders actor Todd Carty.

Suzanne said: “I am really gutted as Dancing on Ice was my dad’s favourite job I ever did and he will be looking down on me when I go out on the ice. I will get emotional.

“He was there every week with a big beam smiling on his face. My stepmum told me that he would have a glass of wine afterwards and put on his earphones and re-watch the show.

“He did it every night and that is really sad to think about.”

Suzanne’s father died in September, 2012, after suffering from a brain tumour, and the former pupil of St Mary’s Primary, Radcliffe, and St Gabriel’s High School, Bury, is now the patron of The Brain Tumour Charity.

She added: “He died just over a year ago now and it is really tough. He was only 61.

“It will be very poignant. It is one of the big reasons why I decided to do it. I would have called him for his advice and I know he would have said ‘go on, do it’.”

In last Sunday’s show Hollyoaks star Jorgie Porter and comedian Joe Pasquale were both voted off after seven contestants took to the ice. Suzanne and six more celebrities will perform their first skate on this Sunday’s show, to be aired at 6.15pm.