AN East Lancashire ice skating star saved the day when she replaced an injured professional on reality TV show Dancing On Ice.

Russian Natalia Pestova stepped in at the last minute to replace former England goalkeeper David Seaman's partner on Saturday's show.

His original pairing, dancer Pam O'Connor, suffered a painful shoulder injury after the 6ft 4in 15-stone goalie fell on her when a lift went wrong during training.

But Natalia saved the day, taking Pam's place with just days to learn the complicated routine.

"My job was just to help them get through another week," said Natalia, 30, of Carr Lane, Rawtenstall.

"I think they chose me because Alexei (her husband and dancing partner) and I are quite well known in the skating world and we have a website through which we get lots of job offers."

And despite the agony suffered by petite 5ft 4in Pam when David came crashing down on top of her, Natalia said she wasn't scared for her own safety.

"What happened was not because he is an amateur skater," she said.

"Sometimes you fall down. It happens. And the same thing could just as easily have happened to any of the professionals.

"It was a great experience, especially dancing with somebody like David Seaman.

"He was a wonderful partner, really reliable, down to earth and a lovely person."

Natalia dances alongside husband Alexei Kislitsyn at the Blackpool Pleasure Beach Hot Ice Show.

The pair, who moved to the UK in 1995, became one of the world's top ice dancing couples after meeting and falling in love in a Russian All Stars training camp as teenagers.

Doctors had feared Pam's skating future could have been in jeopardy after the injury which ironically is the same as the one which ended David Seaman's own footballing career.