Ricky Hatton should definitely be immortalised with a statue in his honour, according to his friend Stephen Webb

Joining Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council, which oversees the area, in supporting the move is TV personality Stephen - who was set to appear on the now-shelved UK TV show Dancing on Ice with Ricky in 2024 - because he thinks it would be a "lovely" place for people to be able to pay their respects and a fitting tribute the legendary sportsman.

Stephen exclusively told BANG Showbiz: "He definitely should have a statue put up.

"That'd be a lovely thing."

Sadly, Stephen crashed out of Dancing on Ice before the 2024 series kicked off because, during training, he fell and broke his ankle.

However, in the time he and Ricky spent together on the ice in preparation for the show, Stephen - who is famous for his appearances on British TV review show Gogglebox - described Hatton as a gentleman.

Stephen recalled: "To me, I'm just from Gogglebox.

"The people I went on Dancing on Ice with, they're all celebrities. I'm just a boy from Kent that landed on a TV show.

"But Ricky was very welcoming to me right from the start and included me."

And, just like the rest of the UK, the news of Ricky's death deeply saddened Stephen.

He said: "It was [a real shock].

"It was really sad to hear [that Ricky had died]."

Ricky's long-term manager Paul Speak has spoken out about the moment he discovered his dear friend dead in his home.

Paul - who had gone to Ricky's house to take him to the airport for a flight to Dubai - told the new issue of Boxing News magazine: "The lights weren't on, which I thought was strange. I thought he'd overslept, but it's not unusual. People do oversleep.

"So, I went inside - I have a key - shouting, 'Rick, Rick, wake up!'

"I heard music coming from upstairs, so I went upstairs... I took a look at him... I had to take some time to process it.

"I was in a state of shock and confusion and loss and many more emotions. Then I called the police and the ambulance.

"But I firmly believe he didn't intend to do it. It's for the coroner to determine, but he had it all to live for."

Before his passing, Paul insisted that Ricky - who battled mental health struggles in the past - was "in a really good place" and had lots planned, including his planned exhibition bout.

He continued: "He'd arranged to take his daughters to see Oasis next week. He was planning to go to Thailand for the WBC convention and a holiday after his fight. He'd just booked a flight to Tenerife for Christmas.

"I want to get the truth out, otherwise, people will just speculate.

"There's been a lot of rubbish written about Ricky and his parents, but he'd seen his mum just last week; gave her a big hug and some love.

"He was going to see his dad after getting back from Dubai.

"His daughters had never seen him box, so he was excited for that. So many things for him to live for - he was in a really good place.

Paul - who worked with Ricky for almost 30 years - added: "If this was 10 years ago, it wouldn't have been as big a shock as it was.

"I've been with Ricky to the very highest mountains in boxing to the lowest chasm in life."

Stephen was speaking on behalf of Centre for Sight, the UK's leading, trusted centre of excellence for advanced eye care, innovation and life-changing results.

He was treated by Mr. Sheraz Daya for Laser Lens Replacement, also known as RLE, Refractive Lens Exchange, which starts from £3,497 per eye.

For more information, visit centreforsight.com.