Last updated 11:42, Saturday, 28 June 2008

Carlisle TV babe Roxanne Pallett is to star in the new series of Dancing on Ice.

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Roxanne Pallett

Roxanne, 25, announced earlier this week that she was quitting Emmerdale at the end of the year.

The actress, who plays battered wife Jo Sugden in the ITV1 soap, made the decision to move to London and tackle West End stage roles.
However, it has now been revealed that she is currently rehearsing at rinks around London for ITV's popular ice dance show in a bid to boost her post-Soap career.

It is understood she will be joined by former EastEnder Joe Swash and Hollyoaks trio Jennifer Metcalf, Jeremy Edwards and Ben Hull. Also being lined up are model Caprice, G4 tenor Jonathan Ansell, Crimewatch presenter Rav Wilding and high jumper Dalton Grant. Former Mr Scotland Angus Burden is also in the frame. 

Roxanne, 25, wanted to leave the soap last year but bosses persuaded her to stay on with a domestic violence storyline, in which Jo was battered and bruised at the hands of her violent husband Andy, played by Kevin Fletcher.

Confirmation of her departure follows speculation nationally that she was poised to quit the show after attracting the interest of producers in London. The Carlisle actress joined Emmerdale in 2005 as feisty biker Jo Stiles.

She was soon in a love triangle as she stole Katie Sugden’s man Andy. The pair were forced to wed in jail last year after Andy was banged up for manslaughter. He was sentenced on their wedding day after admitting torching his home with his mum Sarah inside.

Roxanne’s biggest storyline has been the recent gripping domestic violence plot and things are only set to get worse.