It may be tiring, but Sam Aston who plays Chesney Brown on Coronation Street, is enjoying swapping the cobbles for the ice rink and it’s making his wife happy too

Sam Aston has lost more than a stone while training for Dancing on Ice and reckons the show is getting him into the best shape of his life. And the star – Coronation Street’s Chesney Brown – says his wife Briony is loving his new body.

Not that the couple needed anything to boost their bedroom antics, as he explains: “We’ve already got three kids under five. But, yeah, she likes what she’s seeing. She saw me do a knee slide across the ice and she got a bit giddy. I don’t weigh myself a lot but I’ve lost about eight kilos. I’m feeling the strongest I’ve ever felt, definitely. Corrie might have to write it into the scenes that Chesney has toned up a bit…”

But despite being fitter, he admits the ITV skating show’s schedule is tiring, adding: “I’ve got these little niggling injuries, so it’s tit for tat.” This year’s participants have suffered a string of misfortunes, with Dame Sarah Storey breaking her ankle during training before the series even hit our screens. Comic Josh Jones then pulled out after twisting his ankle and pro skater Vanessa Bauer was forced out after tearing a knee ligament.

Sam – paired with Molly Lanaghan – dislocated a shoulder when his skates clipped together and he fell just hours before a live show. The 31-year-old says: “It’s a bit crazy, we’ve said there must be some bad juju in here, some bad energy. We’re dropping like flies. My body twisted and I went down on the ice right on to my shoulder. When we got up, I said to Molly that it didn’t feel right.

“I carried on for a bit, which was probably wrong. The physio came down and said I’d dislocated it and she needed to pop it back in.” But the physical toll does not stop there. Sam says: “Touch wood, my shoulder doesn’t feel too bad. My knees, on the other hand, are killing me. I think it’s because when you skate they want you to bend and then push through your knees. I’ve never had bad knees but now I feel like I need two knee replacements. I feel like an old man.”

To many fans, though, he is still the young boy who walked on to the cobbles when he was 10. Sam has played Chesney for over two decades and says he is loving showing his fans who he really is. He admits: “It’s really nice to do something for me. I’ve been in Corrie a long time, so it’s nice to just step out of your comfort zone. As cheesy as it sounds, I do feel proud of myself. I don’t think people expected I’d be any good – or maybe they were thinking Chesney wouldn’t.

“The vibe I get when I’m out and about, it’s like, ‘Oh, I saw you, you’re actually quite good on that ice… I didn’t think you’d skate so well!’ It’s really sweet. I’m not saying I’m good or anything but maybe people think I’m more like my character and they wouldn’t expect him to do well.”

With Corrie hit by spending cuts, Sam is proud the show is continuing to keep viewers hooked. He says: “The storylines we’re ­tackling, we’re still telling amazing stories that impact people and are important ones to tell. That’s what we do best. Just look at the one we had with Paul and his MND, they smashed it. For me it’s about showing up on time, knowing my lines, doing my best and not having regrets. You have to put your heart and soul in.” It is the same with Dancing on Ice. Sam says: “I just want to know I can look in the mirror and think, ‘I didn’t half-a*** it. I gave it 110%. But it would be lovely to make the final…”

Molly: It’s Skate to be back

Molly Lanaghan with celeb partner Sam Aston (Image: Kieron McCarron/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)

Dancing on Ice newbie Molly Lanaghan says celeb partner Sam Aston has taken her under his wing after she moved back to the UK for the show. The pink-haired pro, 26, has returned to England after 10 years in Canada, following a professional and love split. “My last relationship was with my last skating partner,” she told us. “

That was a seven-year relationship and when we finished skating together, we ended our relationship. I’m out of that and now in the show. I just wanted to focus on it and live in the moment.” Despite putting her career first, Molly admitted that she’s always open to looking for romance, adding: “I’m a lover!”

As well as reconnecting with her family in Doncaster, South Yorks, the skating pro has been welcomed into the Aston household by Sam, his wife Briony and their three kids. “I met Sam’s wife and kids. They’re lovely,” she smiled. “We’ve had Sunday dinners together and I also met some of his siblings. He is one of nine – he has a big family!”