Months after her split from ex-partner Max Backwell, Mollie Pearce reveals she's found love again - with herself. It’s been just a year since she shot to fame on The Traitors, coming second to winner Harry Clark — but Mollie Pearce has become one of the most exciting new faces on TV. Currently thrilling fans with her daring routines on Dancing On Ice, the former healthcare assistant has found her life transformed, appearing on shows such as Loose Women and Lorraine. At just 23 years old she’s already presented her own film about living with a stoma for BBC One’s Morning Live.
However, the success has come with a side order of heartache: in October Mollie split from her long-term love Max Backwell after three happy years together. “I’ve learned I’m a lot stronger than I thought,” says Mollie, reflecting on her transformative 12 months. “I can do a lot more than I thought. I’ve learned a lot this year and found confidence in the right areas which is nice.”. Ending your first significant relationship is always a wrench, but Mollie is grateful she has Dancing On Ice to take her mind off it. “I don’t have time to think about anything like that if I’m honest, my life is just skating, eating and sleeping when I can,” says Mollie. She adds, “It was helpful that everything was amicable. We’re still friends. I have so much respect for him and vice versa.”.
Having Dancing On Ice filling up her schedule means Mollie is concentrating on herself and not looking to move on romantically with anyone else. “Right now I’m just focusing on skating and taking one day at a time,” says Mollie. “I’m finding love with myself!”. However, Mollie isn’t ruling out taking part in one of the many celebrity dating shows after Dancing On Ice has finished, teasing, “Never say never!”.
Skating every day with partner Colin Grafton has transformed her body and given Mollie muscles she never knew she had,filling her with confidence about showing off her new figure when the warmer weather comes. “I’m looking forward to that summer body,” smiles Mollie. “It definitely tones your legs and your core, I noticed a huge difference with my core.”. During her teens Mollie was diagnosed with autoimmune disease ulcerative colitis, eventually having her colon removed and a stoma bag fitted when she was just 18.
She was also born without fingers on her right hand and fundraises for charity Reach, which helps children and young people with upper limb difference. Now, thanks to the training routine on Dancing On Ice, she’s feeling unstoppable and has even planned to use her new strength on an open-water swimming challenge, this time to raise money for Marie Curie. “It’s definitely the most exercise I’ve ever done in the last couple of years,” says Mollie. “I’ve always tried to go to the gym and things but this is completely different. With Dancing On Ice you use your whole body. I’m really hoping to get a skater’s bum.”.
Mollie’s ultimate dream is to be a TV presenter like her hero Katie Piper, who forged a TV career despite an acid attack scarring her for life and leaving her blind in one eye. Growing up seeing Katie inspired Mollie to pursue her dreams. Later, she was urged on by Strictly star Amy Dowden, who has an MBE for raising awareness around Crohn’s disease, anotherform of inflammatory bowel disease. Before Mollie had her stoma fitted, it was Amy who sent her supportive messages on social media.
“I always really looked up to Katie Piper and to Amy Dowden on Strictly,” says Mollie. “Amy was a massive person for me. I had contact with her before my surgery and before I went on The Traitors and she’s always been someone I really looked up to for talking about her Crohn’s disease. To see someone so successful and beautiful talking about it on TV made me feel so seen.”. Now Mollie hopes that by being on TV she can normalise disability so more children “feel seen”. “It’s important, not only for those children with disabilities, it’s also important for every child,” says Mollie.
“If you’re seeing disability as you grow up, on your TV and all around you, then if you go to school and you are in a class with someone who has disability, you’re not going to look at them any differently than any other child — it’s not hidden away. It’s started to change and that’s a positive.”. At the height of her illness, Mollie told consultants she’d rather die than have a stoma. Five years later she feels very differently as her stoma has brought such a positive change in her health.
One of her big worries was that having a stoma would be the end of fashionable clothes, a big deal for many teenagers. Now, through the glamour of Dancing On Ice, she’s proving that’s not the case. “I loved my costume on the first Sunday,” says Mollie of the burgundy mini dress she wore for the opening show. Since then she’s appeared in black sequins with white ruffles and even dressed in yellow gold as Disney princess Belle, while her partner Colin Grafton dressed as the Beast.
