Dancing on Ice 2023

DANCING ON ICE STARTS SUNDAY 15^TH JANUARY, 6:30PM ON ITV1 AND ITVX

The greatest show on ice is back! Dancing on Ice, created and produced by Lifted Entertainment, returns to ITV1 and ITVX in 2023 with a new cast. Eleven celebrities prepare to embark on the ultimate challenge as they take to the ice each week, skating live in a bid to impress both the panel and viewers at home.

Back for a sparkling new series, the greatest show on ice promises more glitz, glamour and show stopping performances as the celebrities brave it all to learn this dangerous discipline. But who has what it takes to master the skill and steps and lift the trophy at the end of the series?

Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby return as hosts. Meanwhile, ice royalty Jayne Torvill & Christopher Dean resume their roles as judges on the ice panel alongside dancers Ashley Banjo and Oti Mabuse.

The celebrity competitors taking part in the new series are actress and DJ Patsy Palmer, football legend John Fashanu, Love Island winner Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu, olympic gymnast Nile Wilson, Coronation Street’s Mollie Gallagher, Drag Queen and TV personality The Vivienne, TV personality Joey Essex, comedian Darren Harriott, actress and West End star Carley Stenson, singer Michelle Heaton and The Wanted’s Siva Kaneswaran.

Guiding the celebrity novices from their shaky first steps to spectacular routines are their professional partners. A new addition to the 2023 line-up is world-class ice dancer Olivia Smart. Returning to the new series are three Dancing on Ice favourites – Sylvain Longchambon, who last skated in the 2019 series and Vicky Ogden and Klabera Komini who both last skated in the 2021 series. Meanwhile, Matt Evers, who has been a part of Dancing on Ice since it launched in 2006, returns to the show alongside fellow series favourites Alexandra Schauman and husband Łukasz Różycki, Mark Hanretty, Brendyn Hatfield, Vanessa Bauer, Tippy Packard and Colin Grafton.

Dancing on Ice has been commissioned for ITV by Katie Rawcliffe, ITV’s Head of Entertainment Commissioning and David Smyth, Entertainment Commissioner, ITV. Dancing on Ice is created and produced by Lifted Entertainment (part of ITV Studios) and the Executive Producers are Fiona Clark, Iona Mackenzie and Sam Rees-Jones.

COMPETING IN WEEK ONE:

Michelle Heaton and Łukasz Różycki Joey Essex and Vanessa Bauer Patsy Palmer and Matt Evers

Nile Wilson and Olivia Smart

Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu and Brendyn Hatfield Siva Kaneswaran and Klabera Komini

COMPETING IN WEEK TWO:

Darren Harriott and Tippy Packard Mollie Gallagher and Sylvain Longchambon

The Vivienne and Colin Grafton John Fashanu and Alexandra Schauman

Carley Stenson and Mark Hanretty

HOLLY WILLOUGHBY – HOST

How does it feel to be back for a new series of Dancing on Ice?

It’s always good to be back! It’s a great start to the year because Christmas is over and you have a little bit of a peak for New Year’s Eve and then it’s January – it’s gloomy, grey and cold and it’s back to work and back to school. Suddenly, Dancing on Ice is back too and it’s the antidote for all of that.

This year it’s Series 15. What makes you keep coming back?

I think because there isn’t anything quite like Dancing on Ice. I think I’m a fan of this type of show anyway, when somebody challenges themself to do something and when someone works with an expert. The professionals are so fantastic and the choreography is so beautiful. Ice dancing is so beautiful to watch – I remember watching Torvill & Dean as a kid. It’s the combination of all of those things that I love and obviously with Dancing on Ice you have that added bonus of the ice itself which is its own character. The ice is unreliable, it adds an extra challenge and it’s dangerous. So, although it is beautiful, it has an element of real danger about it.

Do you feel anxious when you’re watching the celebrities’ performances? It’s live and anything can happen!

100%. And the only thing that makes any of that better is the fact that I’m watching it on a monitor backstage. When it’s the skate-off, it’s the only time that me and Phil are rink-side to watch the skates. I hate it – I stand there with my eyes shut and especially if I know there is a move or headbanger coming up! When I’m backstage watching it on a monitor, I can convince myself somehow that this isn’t actually happening live. I don’t know how people sit in the audience, particularly the front row and watch it because it’s faster than you think in reality.

Is there anyone in particular from this year’s line up that you’re particularly excited to see take to the ice?

I’m really excited about Ekin-Su – I’m a massive Love Island fan. She’s a brilliant character and she’s a woman who knows what she wants and goes and gets it. She looks gorgeous, she’s going to look like an angel on the ice. I’m thinking she will put that determination into her boots and we’re going to see something wonderful from her.

If you were to take to the ice, what song would you love to skate to? Or a particular theme?

It would have to be ‘Disney Week’ and I’d quite like to do something from Peter Pan and I’d like to be Tinkerbell who actually gets to fly across the ice!

Last year we welcomed Oti to the judging panel. What do you think she brought to the show?

Her absolute expertise in dance and her enthusiasm for getting the best out of people. I think that comes from being on both sides of it really. Having been a professional on Strictly [Come Dancing] and working with celebrities and having that understanding of how much work goes in and how nervous they are. I think it gives her a really unique take on it.

Do you enjoy getting glammed up every Sunday night?

It is really nice to dress up, there are no two ways about it. I don’t know why we’ve decided to go uber glam on this show but it just fits. It is lovely. When else would you get to wear a dress like that? And have your hair and make-up done like that? It’s dress up every single week.

What advice would you give to the celebs taking to the ice this year?

I’m not an expert but I think the thing that would hold me back from enjoying this experience would be the fear of hurting myself. I think you’ve just got to really trust in your professional, trust in the process that you’re learning bit by bit and the skills that you’re learning will be enough to carry you through. And just to keep pushing and try to put that fear aside because when the fear takes over, it gets you to a certain level and then you plateau. It’s those that keep pushing and chipping away at it that seem to go on to that next stage. It’s so much easier said than done when I’m standing on the sidelines but I think that is the key really.

Have you ever been tempted to ask one of the professionals to teach you?

I would love to but not on camera! But I would love to, there is no doubt about it. I would be useless, I’m scared of everything. If no-one was watching then absolutely.

How did it feel to have the audience back last series?

Really good! During COVID, it was brilliant the show could go on and you made the changes and it felt different. You can’t shy away from the fact that there is an atmosphere that an audience brings, it’s showtime! You hear them coming in and the rumble of the cheer, the warm- up and the music – there is an energy in that room that is provided by an audience. I think it actually makes the celebrities perform more because you’ve got something to perform to.

If you and Phillip were to take the ice, who do you think would receive the highest scores from the judges?

Phil has done it before when he hosted with Christine Lampard – they had lessons and they’ve done it. He’s a step ahead of me. I think he would because he would dedicate himself to it and learn properly whereas I know I’ll get the fear!

PHILLIP SCHOFIELD – HOST

How does it feel to be back for another series of Dancing on Ice?

It’s a massive relief that we’re back. Obviously these are very tricky times, we seem to have left the worst threat of COVID behind us and we can begin to get back to some normality. It was tricky last year and hopefully a lot easier this year. I think it’s one of those things where you just want something back. It was so lovely to see I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! back in the jungle where it should be. We’ll be back hopefully with a full audience.

We always say that you get Christmas and New Year and once you’ve done that you’re not far away from Dancing on Ice. Before you know it when it’s finished, you’re in the spring! That has always seen us through the worst, it’s been something great and exciting to do. Hopefully the worst of the weather has gone and we haven’t had to fight our way through blizzards and floods!

Why do you think Dancing on Ice is so popular with viewers?

There is no question that it’s the hardest one on TV. All of these other shows of a similar ilk are fantastic but this is the one that is dangerous – this is the one that can hurt them. There are blades on the bottom of their boots, they’re sharp! We don’t ever want an injury but we’ve had all manner of things that have happened to the celebs. It’s probably the most unpredictable of these types of shows. The mere fact that they’re doing this means they’re driven in some way or competitive in some way or have something to prove to themselves or somebody else, or they get to a point in their life and want to do something really exciting!

Is there anyone in particular from this year’s line up that you’re particularly excited to see take to the ice?

It’s difficult to pick one out as we’ve got a really good group! I adore Joey [Essex] and always have and I think he is definitely going to throw himself into it. Patsy has Matt which is a terrific partnership – something about Matt gets the best out of people. Patsy will be great fun. If you look at who we’ve got, it’s such a mixed bag of talent. We’ve got some new pros as well which will be great to see. And we’ve got The Vivienne, that’s an amazing booking and that is some proper glamour on the ice.

If you were to take to the ice, what song would you love to skate to? Or a particular theme?

My favourite song is always Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel – Make Me Smile. If I was a pro then I would have to skate to Make Me Smile. If it was Musicals Week then I’d probably do something from The Greatest Showman.

Last year we welcomed Oti to the judging panel. What do you think she brought to the show?

Oti is sunshine on a plate! We’ve got such a brilliant judging panel with each one bringing their own individual aspect. Oti really knows her stuff and she also doesn’t miss anything – she’s quite forensic in what she sees and she’s such fun! From the instant she came in she was one of the team. And she lights up a room.

Is there a celebrity in particular you’d love to see on the ice?

I think Dermot O’Leary would be fun – I’d quite like Dermot to have a go. Maybe if Dermot was doing it, we could get Alison to do it as well. Alison is very elegant, so I think Ali would be really funny and elegant. I think Tom [Cruise] would be very good. Clearly he can do anything and clearly he is unbreakable and an extremely nice person. He’d come in and sign autographs for the entire audience. I’m into F1 so I’d like a few racing drivers – Lewis [Hamilton] would be great, you’d know they’d be fast and fearless. Let’s get Lewis, George [Russell] and Lando [Norris] on.

What was your highlight of the last series?

Bez with the melon on his head! Your highlights don’t always have to be the greatest skate, your highlights can be the characters. You admire the skating ability enormously and someone who is really pushing that envelope and doing something that is really far out of their comfort zone, you’ve got to admire that and if they do it with style and humour – that’s what Bez did.

What advice would you give to the celebs taking to the ice this year?

Please don’t hurt yourself. Please don’t fall over in a way that prevents you from actually doing the show! First and foremost, learn how to fall because it’s so easy to forget that this is a really dangerous show. Those skates are blades! We’ve seen some horrible injuries so that is the last thing you want. Skate within your means until your pro says you can go beyond that.

JAYNE TORVILL & CHRISTOPHER DEAN – ICE PANEL JUDGES

How does it feel to be back for another series of Dancing on Ice?

Jayne: It’s always good to be back. The early part starts for us in October but it’s always exciting because we get to see the new group of celebrities. There is always a buzz because you wonder what’s going to happen and how far are they going to go.

What was your highlight of the last series?

Chris: For me, I think it was Regan’s showcase. You felt like you watched him get better and better and then suddenly on his showcase number he looked like a professional. With all the other skaters around him and the production, anybody watching wouldn’t be able to see that he was the non-skater. You feel quite proud when somebody has gotten that far.

Jayne: I agree with Chris, it would be my favourite too. All the top three were brilliant.

Chris: We want to be wowed, we want to be excited. Sometimes your expectation on somebody, you think they’ll be great but in actual fact it can be a role reversal and you get really surprised by some people who take it on and just become good at it.

Chris: This year I have a feeling about The Vivienne and that she’ll surprise people.

Jayne: We did the two days of boot camp and just watched her take in information. She watched and was trying stuff herself. You can see she’s got a good work ethic.

How did it feel to have the audience back last series?

Chris: We always love an audience. When the skaters finish skating, the audience gives you their affirmation on whether it’s been a great performance or a humorous performance or a little bit sad because something might have gone wrong. This year, we’ve got more seats than last year. In that small space when people are cheering it sounds great – the noise level is amazing!

Why do you think Dancing on Ice is so popular with viewers?

Jayne: It has real jeopardy about it. We’ve had some real characters over the years. There is that real danger element to it and the audience finds that exciting. But equally when there is a beautiful performance, they enjoy that as well.

Chris: Like a lot of shows, you get to a certain time of year – it’s Dancing on Ice time! We’ve established that come January when it’s dark and bleak, on TV it’s a glitzy and over the top jeopardy show…

Jayne: And it’s entertaining!

Chris: Families can sit down and watch. They can sit down with the kids and be entertained by it. It’s not just about standing up on dry land, they’ve actually had to learn how to skate so the jeopardy factor as Jayne was saying is so much higher.

Last year we welcomed Oti to the judging panel. What do you think she brought to the show?

Jayne: She’s very qualified in the world of dance. She knows when people are in time with the music and if their style of dance is suited to whatever the music is. She has lots of energy.

Chris: She’s very vivacious.

Is there anything you’d like to see specifically on the ice in this series?

Chris: Something that we haven’t seen before – new and creative! Who is going to bring that? I don’t know.

Jayne: Something that we haven’t seen a celebrity be able to do before. That will be challenging.

Chris: We’re tossing that gauntlet down to everyone but there is a gymnast in there!

What do you think of this year’s cast? Is there anyone in particular you’re excited to see perform?

Chris: I’m excited about The Vivienne. Jayne: And Nile.

Chris: Yes, Nile who is a gymnast and what he is going to bring. Also, we have Ekin-Su on ice!

What advice would you give to the celebrities taking part in the new series?

Jayne: The same as every year – put the hours in with all the basic training. But also enjoy it! If you enjoy it then you’ll want to do more and you’ll want to work harder. It’s about having fun at the same time as working hard.

Chris: It’s the enjoyment factor. I don’t want to make it sound like a job but everyone takes it on very personally – it’s their Olympics in a sense! You get into this bubble and everybody is trying to do the best they can and they want to survive each week and get to the final. Each week we always used to say that when we leave the ice we want to feel like we’ve achieved something.

How would you describe your judging style?

Jayne: I think our first focus is on the skating and the quality of that and how difficult it is. Sometimes you’ll have someone where the skating skills aren’t there but they manage to give a performance and it’s entertaining. But if that performance doesn’t have the skating skills, then you’re not going to get high marks.

Chris: I think we can see through the glitz and glamour, the smoke and mirrors and see the skating. Dress it up but we can still see the skating! I think we’re fair, honest, not critical but we critique.

Is there a celebrity who has yet to take part in this show that you would love to see on the ice?

Chris: Margot Robbie! She did play a skater once in a film.

Jayne: Regé-Jean Page from Bridgerton! Shall we see if he is free?

This year it’s Series 15. What makes you keep coming back?

Jayne: It’s our baby!

Chris: We started it and developed it 15 years ago. It feels a part of us.

Ashley said during the break he has sweets behind the desk. Do you have anything that the viewers can’t see?

Jayne: My daughter bought me a little heart-shaped ornament and I always put it on the desk.

Chris: My eyesight isn’t what it was once so I have to keep sneaking my glasses from behind the desk!