Saara Aalto has defended her former ‘Dancing on Ice’ partner Hamish Gaman as "professional, supportive, and kind".
The 32-year-old singer took part in the ITV ice dancing competition last year, and has leapt to the defence of professional skater Hamish, after he "parted ways" with model Caprice, whom he was partnered with for the first two weeks of the 2020 series.
The reason for Hamish and Caprice’s professional separation has not been confirmed, but Saara – who managed to make it all the way to the finals- has taken to Instagram to defend the pro, saying he is a "positive" and "genuine" person.
Posting a picture of the two of them during training, she wrote: @hamishgaman is one of my dearest friends & the reason @dancingonice was such a joyous experience for me. We made the finals together as a team. He is professional, supportive & kind & I was so lucky to work with a skater as talented as him. You have to work incredibly hard on this show & I wanted to match that hard work put in by Hamish & the amazing producers. I always surround myself with positive, genuine & loving people and that was the case at #DancingOnIce PS. Congrats Hamish on your AMAZING news #TeamNoFear (sic)"
The 36-year-old skater responded to the post with a heart emoji.
Earlier this month, sources claimed Caprice felt Hamish was "pushing her too hard in training", which may have led to her decision to seek a new skating partner.
An insider said: "Caprice’s relationship with Hamish was harmonious at the start but as time went on they became more strained.
"She felt he was pushing her too hard in training and Caprice started to struggle.
"She felt he could have been more patient and they ended up having a big row.
"In the end it became completely unworkable for them to carry on and after speaking with the bosses they called it quits. It was getting toxic so stopping the partnership was best for everyone."
Caprice, 48, is currently skating with Oscar Peter, and was saved by the judges on Sunday (26.01.20) after the voting public put her in the skate-off.