Robin Cousins's Biography

Robin Cousins's father was an apprentice goalkeeper at Millwall FC.

In 1969, Robin Cousins became British novice champion. He soon followed up with being British junior champion and British champion and in 1980 he won gold in Figure Skating at the 1980 Olympic Winter Games in Lake Placid.

Cousins was sandwiched by the successes of John Curry in 1976 and Torvill and Dean in 1984.

Robin Cousins told The Guardian about the dedication needed in his early days:

" ... getting up at four in the morning to practise for two hours on [London's] Queensway ice rink before the public session, then going to stack shelves at Whiteleys, living in a £9-a-week bedsit in Notting Hill, with a Bunsen burner instead of a stove, scraping the train fare back to Bristol at the weekend.."

1980 was a big year for Cousins. As well as winning Olympic gold, he was made an MBE, and was voted BBC Sports Personality of the Year.

Robin Cousins attributed much of his success to his coach Pam Davies.

He also turned professional with Holiday on Ice. Robin Cousins retired from professional skating in 2000 after 20 years of professional skating.

Cousins has developed numerous strings to his bow. He appeared in Cats and The Rocky Horror Show, playing Dr Frank-N-Furter.

He is a successful choreographer for other skaters including his nephew Tristan Cousins, who won the national junior championships.

He also has his own production company, Cousins Entertainment, producing events. The company installs and runs outdoor rinks, which Robin's partner, Alan Abretti, is also involved in.

In 2010 as well as his Dancing on Ice duties, Robin Cousins commentated on the Winter Olympics and from 29 March 2010 to 19 June 2010 he was scheduled to guest star as Teen Angel in Grease at London's Piccadilly Theatre.