Why Fear & Gibson are getting GB ‘excited about skating again’

Lewis Gibson and Lilah Fear, both of whom have been performing on ice this season, have been doing nothing but add one word to the dictionary.

“Entertainful” is the one Gibson makes up accidentally.

Some seriously good results are what have taken them to new heights this season, but it’s far more than their signature blend of entertainment and joy.

They were the only pair to win two Grand Prix events this year, defeating some of their biggest rivals, who frequently kept them just off the podium in recent years. They were the first British skaters to do so in December.

The key is that, in addition to placing fourth at the last two World Championships and placing second at the last two European Championships, the improvements now indicate that there is a real chance to win the top prizes in the year leading up to the 2026 Winter Olympics.

“I have felt this season that there’s a little bit of a shift in the way that people perceive us,” Gibson, 30, told BBC Sport.

Fear, 25, added: “I think it’s just fuel to the fire. It increases our sense of confidence, increases our desire for more, and increases our potential, and also helps us gain a lot more business as a result.

The first chance of major success comes at this week’s European Championships in Tallinn, Estonia, which you can watch on the BBC.

They will be vying for the title of Italy’s Marco Fabbri and Charlene Guignard.

No need to remind them that Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean won the championships’ gold medal for the first time in 31 years.

Although they claim to be “in the same sentence” as them, they also aspire to create their own Bolero moments, Torvill and Dean have been doing so for a while.

“It’s just really exciting that people in the UK feel like they’re getting excited about skating once more,” Gibson said. “Hopefully, it’ll just build a snowball effect and that’ll be amazing for us.”

Fear and Gibson, well known for their crowd-pleasing and high-octane dances, have demonstrated a more emotional side this season to start off their free dance, which features Beyonce’s Halo.

Fear had to create her own costume for it because it was so different from previous dances and would also need to work with the more well-known strutting to Crazy in Love later on.

“With the Halo song, it’s very lyrical and you picture a nice chiffon flowy dress. However, when we’re taking our dance break, it won’t work because I can’t wear a concert-style Beyonce leotard for the Halo.” she said.

“So I wanted to blend the two and represent that through the skirt, which starts as the strap at the top, wraps around, and then turns into the flowing skirt in the back.

Women – Kristen Spours

Men – Edward Appleby

Pairs – Anastasia Vaipan-Law and Luke Digby

All times are GMT and may change.

Wednesday, 29 January

10: 55: Pairs – short programme

Watch live on Red Button, BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport website & app

14: 55: Women’s – short programme

Watch live on BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport website & app

Thursday, 30 January

11: 05: Men – short programme

Watch live on Red Button, BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport website & app

16: 55: Pairs – free skate

Watch live on BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport website & app

Friday, 31 January

10: 25: Ice dance – rhythm dance

Watch live on Red Button, BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport website & app

15: 55: Women – free skate

Watch live on BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport website & app

Saturday, 1 February

10: 55: Ice dance – free dance

Watch live on BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport website & app

15: 55: Men – free skate