The curse of Dancing on Ice 2021

Sunday 17th January 2021 brought us the new series of ITV’s Dancing on Ice. After a nervous wait and plenty of planning due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the strict safety measures were finally put into place and the show was ready to go. The Sun newspaper reported from a source: “ITV showed they could do it with I’m A Celebrity and now they’re doing it again with Dancing On Ice." The British public are glad they did - it was definitely one of the most dramatic TV shows to grace our screens in 2021.

Before the show even started, things were already things going wrong. Actor Joe-Warren Plant, who plays Jacos Gallagher in Emmerdale, had a fall during rehearsals, leaving him unable to skate for four days. During the build-up to the show, he said, ‘I’m super excited, I can’t even describe it... It’s a new challenge I have never done anything like that before, so yeah, super excited.’ People had sent him well-wishes and hoped he would be up to the task when it came to his turn to skate.

The show kicked off on the 17th of January with, of course, Phillip Schofield and the lovely Holly Willoughby. However, it wasn’t as everyone had hoped. The main issue, of course, was the lack of studio audience and the Perspex barriers between the judges. Saying that, if people want the shows to continue there must be rules in place. That was not the only issue. The first episode received more than 300 complaints after the first episode. Many viewers contacted TV watchdog Ofcom after the show and one of those reasons were the political comments made by Rufus Hound. He had said: "I've spent most of this year not emotionally stable because the world does not make sense and this does not make more sense of it... We live in a world where the people we elect don’t want to feed hungry children, this is the least mad thing that has happened to me in a long time."

The complaints didn’t stop there and many viewers had an issue with the wardrobe. There were many complaints about Holly’s dress. Normally people are always copying Ms Willoughby’s style, but this time the nation was divided and many declared her dress as ‘distracting’, to say the least. She wore a beautiful Joao Rolo Couture bespoke evening gown completely covered in shiny sequins. A homage to the 1920s flapper look, she looked fabulous, but the public weren’t entirely convinced with the low plunging neckline.

Graham Bell and Mok rehearsed together, learned together and prepared their first performance together. Then, Mok got injured before they managed to skate live on the TV studio ice and Mr Bell was paired with professional, Karina Manta.

The news of Mok's accident was brought to the British public during a This Morning broadcast. Holly said: "This week Graham Bell and his partner Yebin had a freak accident which resulted in her having a laceration on her leg." Phillip continued: "We had a Zoom meeting yesterday with the team and they showed us a picture that we can not show you on TV...Holly couldn't even look at it, she had to look away - and it was a very nasty stab wound from an ice blade. You could see the tendons, it's a very dangerous show." Does this make anyone else want to watch more?

A new addition to the thirteenth series of the show: The Golden Ticket. The judges can give immunity to a couple, during the first few weeks of the show, by voting on the one they want to save. Banjo voted to save Rufus & Robin. John Barrowman the same. Torvill also voted for Rufus & Robin meaning Dean did not need to vote but told the viewers he would have voted for Rufus & Robin as well - leaving no doubt of their immunity and they were safe to move on to their next performance.

Some very respectable scores in the first week, seeing a number of celebrities and their partners joint top on the leaderboard. Denise Van Outen was trailing last after the first week’s performance, receiving a total of 19.5 from the judges. Rufus Hound did a little better with his first skate result, but didn’t need to worry as was offered the golden ticket by the judges, leaving him safe to skate for another week. Rapper Lady Leshurr, model Rebekah Vardy, actor Joe-Warren Plant and performer Jason Donovan were all joint first with a grand total of 25 points each received from the judges. It was anyone’s game.

After the public vote, Lady Leshur finally received the lowest amount of votes and would have to face the first skate off the following week. She would skate against the competitor who ranks bottom after the next public vote. In the skate-off, the two celebs perform a 'Save Me Skate' and the judging panel chooses who to save and who to send home.

The drama continued into week 2. Due to the strict guidelines in place to protect everyone in the show, Rufus & Robin did not perform in the group routine. Rufus had to self-isolate for 10 days as he had unfortunately come into contact with someone who had tested positive for COVID-19. A spokesperson for the show said: "This week Rufus Hound came into contact with someone outside of the show who tested positive for Covid 19. This means, following government guidelines, he will isolate for ten days. We are hoping to welcome him back to the ice soon."

So the public were on the edge of their seats as the bottom-two skaters from the first two episodes of the show were made to go head-to-head in a ‘skate-off’ in order to decide which pair would be leaving the show. The judges have the final say. Lady Leshurr, who came bottom in the public vote the first week, performed a wonderful routine to ‘Confident’ by Demi Lovato, whilst Myleene Klass, who received the fewest number of votes that day, performed ‘Nothing’s Real but Love’ by Rebecca Ferguson. First to vote was Ashley Banjo who decided to save Lady Leshurr and her partner, Brendyn. John Barrowman followed suit and Christopher Dean also voted to save the pair, meaning Jayne Torvill didn’t need to vote but also would have saved Lady Leshurr. There was no doubt Mylene Klass was going home.

Myleene Klass, penned by Holly Willoughby as the favourite to win the show before filming began, was not saved by the judges when she went head-to-head with Lady Leshurr and Brendyn. She had said how nervous she was about doing something so challenging but was supported by her group of friends who had encouraged her to try something different. She later spoke on ITV's Lorraine, saying she was "proud" to have done the show for her daughters. "They’ve absolutely loved it. I’m so proud to have done this to show them, try new things.

Week 3 brought us the ‘Musicals’ Theme. With musical favourites such as ‘Born to Hand Jive’ from the musical, Grease, and ‘Fame’ from the musical of the same name, this was always going to be a dramatic week on the ice. But it was Joe-Warren Plant who stole the show with his routine to ‘The Room Where it Happens’ from the new musical sensation, Hamilton; getting a whopping 30 points from the judges. He was showing himself to be a front-runner in this competition.

But the curse struck again. Billie and partner, Mark, did not perform in Musicals Week due to a family bereavement. A spokesperson for Dancing On Ice said: "Sadly due to a family bereavement this week Billie Shepherd is taking a break from the ice and won't be on Sunday's show. We look forward to her returning next week and send her all of our love at this sad time."
According to the Daily Mail, Billie's grandmother had passed away from pneumonia at the age of 77.

It doesn't stop there. Denise Van Outen fractured her shoulder and also suffered a painful dislocation. It was such a harsh hit to the star that she was forced to retire from the competition immediately. She said on Instagram, “I won’t be able to do any lifts, tricks or solo skating on the show due to my injury. I’m going to bail out gracefully with my DOI bling sling,”.

After Van Outen was forced to quit due to her shoulder injury, the replacement was announced: gymnast Amy Tinkler. The 21 year-old, who represented Great Britain in the Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games, had stepped up to the challenge with her partner, Joe Johnson and made her debut to great critical acclaim on the show on the 31st January.

Week 3 saw Rebekah and Graham with their partners in the final two. Graham and Karina performed a routine to the Biffu Clyro track, ‘Many of Horror’; but it was Rebekah and Andy who would win the judges over with their routine to ‘My Life Would Suck Without You’ by the wonderful Kelly Clarkson. The judges were once again voting in unison with Ashley Banjo choosing to save Rebekah and Andy while both Barrowman and Torvill agreed. In a repeat of the previous vote, Jayne Dean didn’t need to vote as all were unanimous but would have gone with the majority, sending Graham and Karina home.

Both fans and Graham Bell were disappointed with the pair being sent home. What was more painful for Graham, however was that his initial dance partner, Yebin Mok, was going to return but Bell got eliminated before she could. Graham told viewers: "That was my worst fear, that I’d injure my pro. I trained with Yebin for two months, and we had a really close working relationship, I was on the phone to her all the time, and i just wanted to stay on the show so she could come back and I could skate with her. The fact that Yebin couldn't come back and I couldn't skate with her was just heartbreaking."

So, sadly, another one left the show. Graham Bell is an inspiration to athletes everywhere but his journey on Dancing on Ice had come to an end. Talking about his exit, Graham commented, "I thought we did a really good dance off but obviously the judges didn’t."

On the 3rd of February, Rufus Hound made it public that he had actually contracted coronavirus and had to leave the show. He certainly is one of the memorable celebrities so far from this year’s series and even before the show began, he was already generating interest from his honest and straight-talking interviews. He spoke to Martin and Roman Kemp on Sunday Best, saying: ‘I’m doing it for the money. I don’t know if you’ve heard but about six months ago this global pandemic hit and made just about everything I’ve ever done to earn a pound note disappear! And so this point has arrived and they said “we’ll pay you” and I said “do you know something? I love ice skating!” Everyone wished Rufus a speedy recovery.

Comedian Matt Richardson was revealed as the contestant taking over Rufus Hound and joined the show alongside his professional partner, Vicky Ogden. He was enthusiastic to join the show, commenting on Lorraine: ‘I have done exactly the same amount of training as everyone else, I was just doing it off-camera and not doing the show on a Sunday so I started in October, five days a week since then.” However, Matt had a rough start - already being sent home with concussion and a black eye before any live skating happened…

The public is on the edge of their seats. The fourth episode of this almost unbelievable series of the show brought viewers the ‘Dance’ theme and, with everything that has happened so far, everyone was simply waiting for the next mesmerising instalment.

Another casualty saw another contestant leave the show. Dancing on Ice revealed that, during rehearsals for this week’s show, Billie Faiers has had a fall. ‘Taking the expert advice of the Dancing On Ice medical team, she sadly cannot perform this weekend and will therefore now withdraw from the competition.’ Amidst Coronavirus, injuries and risky clothing, could this have been the most dangerous TV show yet?

He had barely set foot out on the TV studio ice before he was voted off the show. Matt Richardson, who replaced Rufus Hound only four days previous, was in the ‘Skate-off’ on Sunday evening with Olympian Colin Jackson, who had been one of the leaders in the competition the previous week. Many viewers took to Twitter and showed their outrage at the decision of axing someone from the show after such little time. Mr Richardson, however, seemed almost grateful, saying in an interview: "I am quite relieved, this is the most horrifying, terrifying, and fear-inducing thing I have ever done. I don't know if I could have done it for another week."

Actor Joe-Warren Plant (Emmerdale), has had to leave the show after testing positive for COVID-19. Another victim of the show's eerie bad luck, he followed Rufus Hound who had left the show with the same fate on February 3rd. Joe-Warren had already had a fall in rehearsals and found the demands of the show very challenging, but he tells interviewers that he enjoyed every minute dancing on the ice with his partner, Vanessa Bauer. He told the public, "Thank you so much to Vanessa for being a fantastic teacher and although its been cut short, I've thoroughly enjoyed this experience. I have loved every minute of being a part of Dancing On Ice and I am disappointed as I feel I had so much more to give and was working hard to perfect each performance."

Amy joined the show late, when she replaced Denise Van Outen, but was immediately marked as a possible winner of the show by viewers and critics. However, Love week, which celebrated Valentine's Day, saw her booted off the show. She performed a routine with her partner, Joe, to the tune of 'Bang Bang' by Will.i.am, but it wasn't enough to see her through another week.

It wasn't a simple elimination. Amy had withdrawn for all interviews because she had become the latest victim of the show's curse and had split with her boyfriend, Max Cinnamon that week.

She said, "But the reason we decided not to do Press was because it was Valentine’s Week, love week, on the show . . . and I had just split with my boyfriend.

“I just knew interviews would ask me about Max and it would be so difficult to talk about that.

“If there were going to be headlines, I didn’t want it to be ‘Amy Tinkler’s split with her boyfriend’, I wanted it to be about the show."

Poor Amy.

Unsure as to whether we could handle any more drama, the Dancing on Ice season 13 just kept giving. On February 22nd, Jason Donovan had to pull out of the show due to a bad back.

He hadn't made an appearance on the Love week show the previous week for the same reasons, and, although ITV had allowed them to both continue with the show, Donovan decided it was best to call it a day.

"It's a nightmare and I'm completely gutted," said Donovan.

The following show was cancelled due to the amount of injuries and unforeseen problems within the show. The curse continued.

Rebekah Vardy was eliminated from the show on movie week. She joined fellow contestants Lady Leshurr and her partner, Brendan in the bottom two but, despite Barrowman trying to save her and partner, Andy, the other judges were unanimous in voting her off the show. She performed the classic 'Moon River' from Breakfast at Tiffanys but Colin and Sonny Jay's more uptempo tracks from Saturday Night Fever and Billy Elliot, respectively, were more engaging and earned them the top spot in the votes.

She was grateful for her time on the show but the mother-of-five said, "To my family & closest friends, I love you all & as much as I've loved training & fallen in love with the ice, I’m also looking forward to having time at home with my family again."

We have seen the Dancing on Ice curse bring about injuries on the show, splits with boyfriends from a distance and disastrous COVID infections, it also followed pro skater, Hamish Gaman, away from the ice and he sustained an injury - totally non-skating related - on his hand. Almost unbelievably, it was a freak injury that occurred when he was trying to take a sock off.

He was forced to drop out as, despite trying to continue, he and partner, Faye, decided it best to let Hamish's colleague, Matt Evers, take over from him. Faye and Hamish had the highest overall average score during this show's running.

Faye took to Instagram and said "Truly heartbroken with the news that @hamishgaman has had to withdraw from @dancingonice... This guy has been there for me from the very beginning. Taught me everything I know and I hope I did you proud brother... It has been an honour."

It's bad enough that the shows producers decided to move the finale a week earlier because there weren't any more celebrities to take part in the show as so many had dropped out...

The show's producers said, “They can’t compromise on the quality of the programme, so in order to keep it to the high standards that everyone expects, they’ve decided to trim the series by a show. It means they’ll get to give all the skaters and celebrities a proper semi-final and a grand finale they all deserve.”

... but it didn't stop there...

It had been revealed that there would only be 12 minutes worth of actual live skating in the finale. The final was said to be even more of an anticlimax than many had thought. Each couple were set to perform two 90-second routines and the public was unsure as to how producers of the show would drag out the final to fill a two hour slot...

So it came to the semi final and it was prop week - meaning they must incorporate an object into their routine at some point.

Having managed to escape the last two skate-offs, Lady Leshurr & Brendyn Hatfield performed Lulu's 'Shout' and 'No One' by Alicia Keys.

Colin Jackson CBE & partner, Klabera Komini performed their routines to 'Ca Plane Pour Moi' by Plastic Bertrand and 'Baby, I Love Your Way' - Big Mountain.

Wowing the judges last week, Sonny Jay & Angela Egan returned to give us 'River' by Bishop Briggs and Temper Trap's 'Sweet Disposition'.

Having never been in a skate-off or the bottom two, favourites Faye Brookes & Matt Evers (who had replaced her injured partner, Hamish) skated to a Tony Bennet, Lady Gaga Mashup of 'It Don't Mean A Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)' and 'The Best' by James Bay.

What could possibly go wrong?

Fans were left furious as Lady Leshurr was voted off the show in the semi final. Despite Lady Leshurr looking almost relieved at the moment she was told she wouldn't be skating in the final, there was outrage as they had obviously performed to a high standard and fans have deemed it, 'unfair'. They received the first 40 score of the series, with all four judges giving them a 10/10 for their prop routine to Lulu's 'Shout, but, nevertheless, she was in the skate-off against Olympian Colin Jackson. The decision was left to judge, Christopher Dean, who chose to put Colin through to the finals.
She said, "I am actually so happy because I love Colin. I was shaking my head saying 'please guys not again, don't let us through, because I genuinely wanted him in there."

Before the winners were even announced in the finale of the show, the audience had already taken to Twitter in anger at the judges scoring methods. They called it 'ridiculous' and one tweeted "too many 10s for me". While another posted, "If that was in week 6 IT WOULD OF GOT NOTHING HIGHER THAN A 7". The final saw skates from finalists actress Faye Brookes, Radio DJ Sonny Jay and Olympian Colin Jackson.

Colin Jackson was voted out first, which left the other two to skate to the iconic 'Bolero', until the phone lines were closed and Holly and Phil announced Sonny Jay and his partner, Angela, the winners. Previous contestants in the show also joined for a final performance, including Rufus Hound and Joe Warren Plant, who had previously been ordered to quarantine due to testing positive for COVID-19.

Matt Richardson had a less-than-elegant return to the show, stumbling on top of his partner in his routine. No broken bones or dislocations, however.

They confirmed the show will be back again next year for another nail-biting season. We can't wait.