Interview: Zaraah Abrahams

4:16pm Friday 25th April 2008

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DANCING On Ice contender Zaraah Abrahams is doing things in reverse on her journey to stardom.

As unlike most actors rather than moving from the north of England to the bright lights of broadway in search of their big break, instead Zaraah moved away from her home city of London up north to make her prime-time debut in top soap Coronation Street, and has never been back.

And now she is a regular in another northern based TV series, Waterloo Road, set in Rochdale. The 21-year-old, who first made a name for herself as one of Mike Baldwin's factory girls, is now playing school girl, Michaela White.

She also previously starred as Magda in the CITV Manchester based show, Girls in Love, before landing the role of Joanne in the street. So what is it about the north that works for Zaraah?

"It's strange really, I didn't plan to make my way to Manchester to get my big break. It just sort of happened that way. "Said Zaraah. "I got my first job up there and then more and more came along in the same area. It is quite back to front. Everyone else is racing to London to make it in the acting world and I'm heading in the opposite direction.

"I was a bit dubious of taking on my most recent northern drama as it was a child role and I wanted to start doing more adult parts but I am so pleased I went for it. I am having a great time. And it is very challenging. And I really like it up north."

Zaraah took part in ITV1's Dancing On Ice, as a replacement for the injured Michael Underwood, who broke his ankle skating on the show.

Paired up with Sarah Greene's former skating partner Fred, the couple produced some instant ice magic and glided effortlessly together to ABBA's Take a Chance - scoring a whopping 18.5 for their very first performance.

The ex-Corrie star went on to recreate her grace and ease across the ice and wow the judges week by week. In fact Zaraah's scores just kept getting higher and higher, and by week six, she'd picked up 22.5 points after a stunning performance to Prince's Diamonds and Pearls.

Despite having to learn much of the techniques in half the time of the other contenders, head panellist Robin told Zaraah: That choreography and routine was like watching two professional skaters.' Zaraah competed in the skate off for four consecutive weeks landing her the nickname the skate off queen', and in the semi-final she won yet another skate off against Gareth Gates earning her a place in the final before finishing third, behind Chris Fountain and winner Suzanne Shaw.

She added: "I was nervous at first because I had never really skated before the show apart from for fun as a child. It wasn't under the circumstances I would have liked to have joined the show but I loved the experience all the while. I feel so proud of what I can do on the ice now. It's a brilliant feeling."

But despite her natural flair Zaraah does not see her future on the ice. For she has her sights set on success across the pond, dreaming of a part in US hit series Sex & The City.

• See Zaraah and her fellow celebrity contenders in the Dancing On Ice Tour coming to Manchester from May 7 until May 11. Tickets on 08705 321 321.