Colin Grafton, a native of Boston and a professional figure skater, is carving up the ice for a second time on European TV’s “Dancing On Ice,” and he’s doing it as his true self.
“I told my friends at the door. In an interview with PinkNews in which he discussed coming out as gay, Grafton, 32, recalls telling the people around me and later telling my parents. “It was around 24 when that happened. I’m aware that people are curious about my sexual orientation and love life, but I never really made the public out,” said the ITV host.
“I guess this is me announcing it to you people,” I thought.
Grafton, who has been skating since he was 7 years old, recalled how Tara Lipinski’s win of an Olympic gold medal at the 1998 Winter Games inspired him to pursue this career. However, he claimed that being a male figure skater was “really hard” during the 1990s and 2000s.
Grafton recalled how anxious he was as a child that I was at different ages. The soccer players did come and knock on the side of the arena and yell words as I would be skating. That was a problem that all male skaters had to deal with at the time. Although it wasn’t easy, all of it made me stronger because I took it and put my focus on my sport.
With his original partner Kylie Duarte, Grafton won a bronze medal at the Junior U.S. Championships in 2012 thanks to his target. The memories of those who mocked him merely served to motivate him to work harder.
“When someone tells you, you can’t do anything, or when someone makes fun of you, just prove them wrong,” the saying goes.
Grafton ended his professional skating career in 2013 by going on some German tours and even going on to coach. Next came the crisis of COVID-19.
“I feel really lucky that I’ve been able to kind of participate in so many different professional areas,” he said, “but tour life is very difficult, all the traveling and being away for so long.” So I jumped on “Dancing on Ice” when it first appeared. That happened in 2023.
The program is aired on ITV’s Channel 3 on Sunday evenings from producers in Bovingdon, a small town in Hertfordshire, about an hour north of London. The Vivienne, the first drag actor on the show, and the first time a same-sex pair was featured in “Dancing On Ice” made record during that first year. They advanced to the playoffs, placing them fourth overall.
Being a member of that team, being a part of that picture, was really wonderful, he said. “The support we received from all was great. I didn’t really understand the final result, if I’m honest.
And at the end of last year, Grafton suddenly had time to read the numerous fan- and viewer-written encouragements. “Seeing us helped them and gave them the courage to come out or become themselves,” he said. It was certainly something, I suppose.
And now that Grafton is a fixture on the program’s 16th season, he has made the decision to let everyone know who he really is and show them that they are not the only ones.
The TV personality explains that he never actually felt the need to make the announcement because he wants to show that everyone is represented in any way possible.
Grafton revealed that he had many “smaller steps and little triumphs” along the way to self-acceptance that eventually made him feel more at ease in front of the camera. He said, “It was on my own terms,” and he feels “blessed” that friends were supportive.
“It’s been a long journey, but now I’m proud of myself, I’m proud of my sexual orientation, and I want to let other people know that they should be proud of every aspect of themselves as well,” said Grafton, acknowledging his concerns about coming out in public. I was very anxious to do that to myself. When in fact the people’s gender variety is so huge and it’s just one small part of who you are, it was like, “OK, if I come out as gay finally people are going to believe I’m this or that.”
However, Grafton is the subject of rumors about his personal life because he appeared at night on like a well-known TV program. He acknowledges having “lived and breathed skating” before finding love at age 24 and making the decision to tell his friends and family.
Although that lasted for two and a half years, Grafton’s regular travel plans and work on the ice gave him no other chance to fall in love. He claimed that “I just didn’t really have an opportunity.” You might meet someone while you’re on a contract for six months, and after that, you’re both going off in different directions,
so I wasn’t really able to hold on to a relationship because of that.
However, Grafton claims he feels ready to settle down now that London is where he calls home. His ideal mate? Someone who is aware of his business commitments.
“We live actually fast-paced lives as athletes,” he said. “I want to meet someone who is also quick-paced and able to keep up with that, but they don’t need to be a fellow skater. I just want someone to support me and I may support them as well.
“We’re all just beings doing our thing on this planet and trying to find love,” the saying goes.
Grafton said he is excited to continue skating on broadcast until he does.
“I adore ‘Dancing on Ice’ so much. I consider myself blessed and very fortunate to be able to continue doing the show every time that I’m asked to do it. I would like to do it as often as I can or as often as my body allows me to,” he said. And when it doesn’t? Grafton perceives that he might try his hand at acting.
“I think that’s what life is all about,” he said. “Learning new things and pushing yourself to accomplish things differently.”
