Ex-Blue Peter presenter Tim Vincent will take to the ice with professional dancing partner Victoria Borzenka when the popular ITV reality show returns on Sunday at 5.50pm.

The 35-year-old, who is an actor and presenter, will be competing against Hollyoaks actor Chris Fountaine, tennis player Greg Rusedski, javelin thrower Steve Backley, TV presenter Michael Underwood and former pop star Gareth Gates. He will also be taking on female competitors, TV presenter Sarah Greene, How Clean is Your House star Aggie MacKenzie, former Hear'say member Suzanne Shaw, model and actress Linda Lusardi, singer and actress Samantha Mumba and TV and radio presenter Natalie Pinkham.

Tim, who counts Konnie Huq, Gareth Hale and Diane Louise Jordan among his celebrity supporters, started out on ITV drama series Children's Ward playing alcoholic teenager Billy Ryan and went on to act in BBC series Dangerfield, ITV soap Emmerdale and appeared in the film Sorted alongside Tim Curry and Jason Donovan.

Best known for presenting Blue Peter, he also presented the first series of the reality television series, I'm Famous and Frightened!, Sky One series There's Something About Miriam and hosted the Miss World contest in 2005, 2006 and Miss USA in 2007.

Now with a career in Los Angeles presenting a regular slot on NBC's Access Hollywood and a new show called Phenomenon, Tim has to fit in training in between transatlantic flights, as he lives in New York.

"At one point I did 75 hours flying time in seven weeks," he told the ITV website. "LA to New York to London every single week – so my training has been minimal. Now I'm back on track with three hours of training a day.

"Chris and Jayne are so nice and the coaches are so encouraging. You've got to ignore how good the other people are and just concentrate on your own situation."

But with his confidence on the ice slowly building week by week, Tim has time to focus his fears on his outfits instead.

"Dancing On Ice can become a celebration of campness with all the costumes which I'm not so keen on," he admits. "Apparently all the blokes say that every year, and they start off with a couple of sequins and end up looking like Dame Edna Everage. I'm waiting with interest to see if that happens."

Tim is a bit more interested in the ladies' ice fashion though.

"I haven't seen any of the girls in their Lycra yet unfortunately," he said. "It's mainly training every day and you're with your partner and you're in tracksuits – it's very unglamorous."

Read our interview with Tim Vincent in tomorrow's Leader.