She's already tried her hand at ballroom dancing across the pond, and now Heather Mills is putting her best foot forward by stepping on to the ice for a spot of skating.

Heather, who turns 42 this week, was spotted carrying her false limb as she headed into rehearsals for the show - however, she admitted that the leg has held her back.

She said: 'its ankle doesn't band and I fall 50 per cent of the time.'

What a carry on: Heather Mills leaves her hotel for the last training session before Dancing on Ice show starts carrying her leg complete with Ice skate attached

Break a leg: Sir Paul McCartney's ex-wife says that appearing on the show has been much tougher as the leg she uses has an ankle that doesn't bend

Animal free: Heather Mills wears vegan boots for Dancing On Ice

Judge Nicky Slater has already expressed his concern as to whether Heather will be able to perform well after seeing her in rehearsals.

He said: 'Choreography should work to hide disability, and one-legged skating IS possible, but here it's how the other leg reacts that affects aesthetics. A challenge.'

Meanwhile Paul McCartney's ex-wife insisted that producers on the ITV contest, which starts tonight, provide leather-free footwear in line with her strict beliefs.

So they were forced to order £200 skates made from a synthetic material called Clarino.

The former model lost her left leg below the knee after a road accident in 1993, but no modifications were needed to the skates to accommodate her prosthetic limb.

A source said: 'Heather is adamant that she will not wear leather, which is barely a step down from fur as far as she is concerned.

'It was part of her conditions for going on the show, which also include an insistence that all her refreshments are vegan.

'Vegan boots are not unheard of in ice-dancing because leather needs so much looking after, but they are not the standard by any means.'

The boots are made by American firm Riedell, which makes most of its skates from animal leather.

Ms Mills is debuting with the other 13 celebrities on tonight's show and has a new haircut which makes her almost unrecognisable.

Instead, the spiky crop and low-cut dresses rather make her look like feisty EastEnder Shirley Carter, played by Linda Henry.

The 41-year-old ex-model - who won £24million in her divorce settlement from the former Beatle - said on her website yesterday that the show was 'the best way I have of generating charity income'.

She added: 'Training over the past few months has been so hard. I've broken ribs, shifted my pelvis and injured my shoulder. Ice-skating is the most difficult thing I've ever done. It is almost impossible when my ankle won't bend.

'But I'm really determined and I don't care if I'm the worst skater there. It isn't just my charities that benefit from my taking part. I am always looking to inspire other amputees.'

Lookalike? Heather Mills, pictured on the Dancing On Ice preview show, looked uncannily like Linda Henry (Shirley Carter) on EastEnders