EXCLUSIVE SKATE STAR DUNCAN ON HIS QUEST FOR LOVE BEST FOR WEEKEND TV
By Beth Neil
Beth.Neil@Mirror.Co.Uk 03/03/2007
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GOOD news ladies. The most eligible bachelor in town is on the lookout for love. But get your skates on - you've only got 12 months to catch Duncan James's eye.
Despite his chiselled jawline and come-to-bed eyes, the Dancing On Ice hunk is unhappily single. And he's desperate to find true love before his 30th birthday, in April next year.
"I'd love to meet someone special and hitting 30 seems like a good age to do it," reveals Duncan, speaking exclusively to the Mirror. "It'll probably be a turning point for me where I take some time out of the business and concentrate on settling down."
Before you start forming a disorderly queue, it's worth bearing in mind that the future Mrs James will only ever be the FOURTH most important lady in his life.
"I'm not going to jump into any old relationship," insists Duncan, who shot to fame in boyband Blue. "Any girl I date has to accept that I come with responsibilities.
My mum, my daughter and the mother of my child will always come first.
"Am I a mummy's boy? I guess I am. I've never had a dad in my life so it's always been me and Mum. I love my mum to pieces and I want to make her proud."
Then there's his daughter, Tianie, and her mum, Claire Grainger. Although Duncan and Claire split up before Tianie was born, he is still very much part of their lives.
"It's hard because she lives with Claire in Manchester and, with me being based in London, I miss her so much," says Duncan, who persuaded Dancing On Ice bosses to give him last Sunday off so he could attend Tianie's second birthday party.
"It was her birthday on Monday but she had a party on Sunday and I was desperate to go," he says. "I had to plead for permission to miss a day's training, but some things are more important than a TV show.
IT was in the local church hall and Tianie had all her friends there. I had my face painted with clown tear drops and she had hearts and glitter on hers.
"I got her a special skating costume made for her birthday and she loves it. She wants to be an ice skater - she's obsessed with Dancing On Ice.
"She claps and cheers when I come on and boos the other contestants, so we've got her well trained.
"Tianie's very cluedup little girl, she's like two going on 20."
Attending his daughter's birthday celebrations was a welcome break for Duncan in more ways than one. After two months on the hit ITV1 skating contest, the gruelling training is taking its toll. Some days he's ready to collapse.
"This is the hardest I've ever worked in my life," he sighs. "With Blue there was a lot of travelling and long hours. But it wasn't as physically and mentally demanding as this. I am shattered. Still, I've lost almost a stone and I'm feeling pretty good. It's gone from my face, legs, tummy and bum."
To prove it, he lifts his top to reveal a trim torso. "But I'm happy to have got a bit of weight off," he continues.
"I was always a skinny kid, but in my mid-20s my metabolism started slowing down.
Nobody likes to feel overweight."
With the final just a fortnight away, there will be no let up in his training. And Duncan, along with the other remaining contestants - ex-footballer Lee Sharpe, rugby player Kyran Bracken, actress Clare Buckfield and Emmerdale's Emily Symons - is feeling the pressure. He is also dreading ending up in the bottom two for the second week running after surviving last Saturday's skate-off with his best mate, Lisa Scott Lee.
"I felt so guilty," says Duncan, who'll be skating to ELO's Mr Blue Sky tonight. "Lisa was the one person I didn't want to face in a skate-off because we're such good mates.
I was happy to be through but sad that Lisa was gone. She told me to go on and do it for her, so I'm going to give it my best shot.
"Luckily, I've got a great professional partner in Maria Filippov and we've worked harder than ever this week.
"Maria's the sweetest girl and tells me I remind her of her five-year-old son. I don't know if that's a compliment or not...
"It'll be tough this week because we've all got to dance with a prop. Mine's an umbrella - but you'll have to watch the show to see what I do with it."
FORTUNATELY, he has not been put off by the camp costumes he wears gliding round the rink. "I've been doing drama since the age of four so it doesn't bother me," he grins. "I'm not cool, I'm actually a bit of a geek."
As well as working hard at skating, Duncan has also been scrutinising the show's host, Phillip Schofield. He's been watching how Phillip works now that he's decided to concentrate on a TV career.
"I've chosen not to release my new single because I've got too many other things going on," he says. "I'm going on tour with Torvill and Dean straight after the series finishes and I'm getting lots of offers.
"I've been in music for six years and it's time to try different things. I enjoy presenting and I'd love a part in a West End musical or play."
His old blue bandmate Antony Costa has already gone down that route, receiving rave reviews for his role in Blood Brothers. "Antony's done really well," says Duncan. "I'm still in touch with all the boys.
Simon's been to watch the show and Lee is supposed to be coming along. But it's been nice to talk about something other than Blue and whether we'll get back together for the past couple of months."
From the way he rolls those big blue eyes, don't bank on a reunion any time soon. Duncan's got bigger fish to fry.
And then there's the small matter of finding his soulmate. There was some talk that Duncan had a crush on fellow contestant Emily?
"Emily's gorgeous - smiley, bubbly and brilliant to be around," he says. "She's also very chesty, so when she gives you a hug you kind of sink in, it's like being back in the womb. But I don't fancy her."
Poor, Em. Still it's less competition for the rest of us...
Merci à KayC de l'UDJFC
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