Davina McCall talks celebs, snow and The Jump

17 January 2014

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Can you explain what The Jump is going to be about for the uninitiated?

Picture the scene, it’s January, you’re depressed, New Year’s Eve has been and gone, you’ve already broken your New Year’s Resolutions and your feeling really bad about yourself.  What you need to do is sit down in front of the television and watch an entertainment programme that will have you clenching your buttocks so hard that you won’t need to visit the gym for a month!  There’s going to be danger, excitement, competition, highs and lows, tears and laughter – it’s all in The Jump.

What was it that attracted you to present The Jump?

When I met with the production company, they showed me a taster tape of all the sports the competitors  are going to do and some footage of people who weren’t experts trying to do the sports too. I laughed so hard and I thought oh my god I have to present this show. 

I thought this is great opportunity to hopefully have a good laugh with the celebrities taking part.  I think some of the positions that they end up in will be quite comical. Hopefully no one will seriously hurt themselves but let’s not deny how dangerous the show is. Health and safety is really strict.

Also, it’s a great opportunity to spend some time in Innsbruck which is really beautiful, with dramatic scenery and call it work.  It was too good to miss. 

Who are you particularly excited about appearing on the show?

Kimberly Wyatt is a mate, she was a judge on Got to Dance with me, so I’m really happy she’s doing it. I know that she’s going to work her sexy butt off; put her heart and soul into it and I know when she does that she can almost do anything really. She’s extremely focussed which is great. 

In the same respect obviously the sportsmen, Darren and Sir Steve, are also going to be very focussed.

It will be interesting to see that strategies that people pull out of the bag.

Do you think the contestants you mentioned above will be the strongest contenders?

It’s so difficult to say who will be the strongest contenders will be. 

You just don’t know, some of them might have natural ability and take to it like a duck to water. Then sometimes with the sportsmen, they push it even harder and then what happens if they get a sprain or a muscle tear?!  You’ve got to think about injuries too.

Have you heard any reports of how they’re all getting on?

I haven’t heard any reports on how they’re getting on with their training programme. I’ve kind of asked not to because I want to be surprised when we get out there. I don’t want to know how they’re doing I just want to see what happens at the first day of filming.

Who are the experts involved in the training?

We’ve got Graham Bell, who’s an Olympic skier, Amy Williams who does the Olympic skeleton and Eddie the Eagle who’s a ledge’ and needs no introductions.  So they’re getting some top tuition.

Apart from Kimberly have you met any of the contestants before?

I’ve met Marcus Brigstocke, I’ve met Steve Redgrave, I have met Melinda Messenger,  I don’t know Amy but I can’t wait to meet her. I’ve met Sinitta on a plane. I know all of them really in some way or other.

You mentioned that they are going to be doing some properly hair raising stuff, are you worried about any of them and do you think that will be on your mind when you’re presenting?

Well I’m worried about all of them because they’re all going to be performing some hair raising sports. I‘m hoping that they will have put in a lot of training, will have worked really hard and they are in very good hands.  .

Do you ski yourself?

No. I have skied in the past and I did Ski Mate, Street Mate on skis.  I did a bit of snowboarding when I was at MTV too, but I’m too frightened now, it’s too scary.

Have you been busy picking out a fabulous winter wardrobe?

I’m planning my winter wardrobe as we speak. I’ve got a fitting next week and I’m really excited. How many cool puffa jackets can I get?!

Are there any events in The Jump that you would be willing to try?

I wouldn’t try anything on skis, there’s no way on earth you’d get me down a ski jump. The bobsleigh is something I might have a go at; I’d never do the skeleton. So no, there’s not really anything that I would do. It’s all too scary. 

If you’d been approached to be a contestant on The Jump, what would you have said?

Well, I know how much training these things take and it is exhausting and when you commit to something like this, you have to commit heart and soul.

I would just say to the viewer, please also take into account the sacrifices that all of our celebrities have made, not just to be on the programme but for the weeks running up to it because they’ve been training really, really hard and they’ve all got other work commitments and families that they have to look after.  We should salute them for that as well as just doing it.

If you had to take part in Strictly or I’m a Celebrity… or Come Dine with Me which would you choose?

CDWM, it’s the least dangerous. I could just cook something.