Video: Get ya skates on...here’s Dancing on Ice

There are lots of reasons to watch Dancing on Ice, ranging from watching celebrities learn a new skill to the presence of skating legends Torvill and Dean.

If they are being completely honest, some viewers might admit they also watch on the off-chance that one of the novice skaters will come a cropper on live TV.

However, while there have always been risks involved in signing up for Dancing on Ice, last year the show was hit by an extraordinary run of bad luck. There were so many injuries and positive covid tests that one episode had to be replaced with a clip show and the final was held a week ahead of schedule.

Yet despite all that, a new crop of brave celebrities has agreed to sign up a new run. The famous faces include Coronation Street legend Sally Dynevor, Happy Mondays dancer Bez, Paralympian Stef Reid, Love Island’s Liberty Poole, rugby star Ben Foden, popstar and actress Kimberly Wyatt, dancer Regan ‘son of Paul’ Gascoigne, pop star Rachel Stevens, presenter Ria Hebden, BMX Olympic silver medalist Kye Whyte and The Vamps’ Connor Ball.

They will all be feeling nervous ahead of taking to the ice, and not just because they know what happened last year, but the new recruit who might be feeling the most pressure is professional dancer Brendan Cole. Not only will viewers expect him to be a graceful mover, there’s also the fact that his fellow former Strictly Come Dancing veteran James Jordan won the competition in 2019.

Luckily, he’s ready for the challenge, although he admitted during an appearance on Loose Women that his first time on the rink didn’t go quite as he’d hoped.

He said: “I’m a fairly confident person and I like to think I’m going to be good at what I put my hand to or my feet to! I was thinking okay I’m going to be fine, I’m going to be out there and I was terrible. I was a bit wobbly. You can expect to be a bit wobbly on ice but I was hoping I was going to be better than I was.”

Hopefully, he will be feeling a little more at ease on tonight’s opening show, and if not, at least he will have a friendly face on the show in the form of new judge (and the only professional dancer to win Strictly two years on the trot), Oti Mabuse.

She’s certainly excited about joining the panel, saying: “As a professional dancer I have always had so much respect for the skating professionals on Dancing On Ice. It is an exceptional skill that is also so beautiful to watch.

“I’m feeling really enthusiastic about joining the panel alongside the legendary Torvill and Dean and Ashley Banjo. I can’t wait to see the celebrities thrive as they learn how to ice-skate and to champion the professional skaters as they create incredible choreography. Having been on both sides of the table, I know a little bit about how they’ll be feeling.”

Tonight she’ll be offering her verdicts on the first six celebs to take to the ice, while Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby are back on hosting duties.

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