Tim Healy has no regrets over ice show outburst

Mar 13 2011 by Coreena Ford, Sunday Sun

“I’VE got no regrets at all.”

That was Tim Healy’s declaration last night after breaking his silence over defending his wife’s honour as she made a controversial exit from skate show Dancing on Ice.

And he revealed acid-tongued judge Jason Gardiner was skating on very thin ice by branding Denise Welch’s performance ‘abysmal’ – coming perilously close to getting thumped on live telly.

Speaking exclusively to the Sunday Sun, a defiant Tim said: “I just lost it. I don’t regret it.”

Millions of viewers watched in shock last weekend as Auf Weidersehen, Pet star Tim – wed to Denise for 23 years – stormed down to the stage to confront the judge on last Sunday’s show.

The 59-year-old Benidorm star, who was born in Benwell, Newcastle, told Jason: “She’s 52 and she’s got four jobs,” before Gardiner brushed him away.

The spat raged on hours later when the controversial judge went on Twitter and blasted: “Those who think I was rude to Tim Healy can shove it. He got in my face with breath that smelt of stale p**s and alcohol whilst I was talking.

“I’m not perfect but at least I have oral hygiene.”

And when one fan stood up for the North golden couple on the micro-blogging spite, he spitefully countered: “And you look like something he’d vomit!”

The following day Denise was back on ITV for her regular stint as a panelist on Loose Women, saying: “Tim has got really protective over the last few weeks because he felt that Jason was being particularly mean to me.

“And I just said, ‘Listen, you know, Jason’s a friend off the ice’. He’s not my friend any more because I think he’s been particularly vicious and evil about Tim.”

Last night, Tim told how he saw red when Gardiner slated Denise’s performance with partner Matt Evers as he sat in the audience with the couple’s son Louis, nine.

He said: “It was the first time I was sat up at that end of the audience to be honest.

“We were sat about 40 yards away from Jason and he said to Denise, ‘After last week’s abysmal performance’ and I thought ‘I’m not having that’.

“I had my little lad sat next to me and he doesn’t want to hear someone saying that about his mum . . .so I just lost it.

“The next thing I knew I was up there and I just said ‘It’s not a professional competition, it’s just a bit of fun and she’s trying to do four jobs at the minute’.

“She’s been filming a pilot for a new sitcom with Russ Abbot, she’s in Waterloo Road, Loose Women and she’s now in Casualty.

“She’s doing really well . . .and she’s my wife.

“Then he said I had bad breath. Well, just before I had nipped out for a cigarette and I was right in his face. He obviously doesn’t smoke.

“Now I don’t regret it all.