The 14th season of Dancing on Ice is just around the corner, with the 12 Dancing on Ice 2022 contestants currently gearing up to take to the ice.
And we’re told ITV is working extra hard to make sure the show doesn’t have a repeat of last year, which resulted in lots of early exits as a result of the pandemic and injuries, leading to the season eventually being paused.
Speaking to press including RadioTimes.com ahead of the launch, the show’s host Phillip Schofield said: “There’s no question, we’ve been very honest about last year. Last year was a tough series. But you know, all of the big shows on the telly found it tough. You can only put in a certain amount of restrictions.”
Referring to his and his judges’ socially-distanced seating, he revealed how the show is working to keep everyone safe: “You can see in the wide shot here how careful we’re all being! You can only do so much. We’re at the mercy of it.”
He continued: “I’m incredibly excited to be back with the team. It’s lovely to obviously share Sunday nights with Holly [Willoughby], Jayne [Torvill], Chris [Dean], Ashley [Banjo] and welcome Oti [Mabuse] for the first time, which is delightful. We’ve all had a brilliant afternoon and we’ve toasted her arrival.
“Chris will back me up here, [and] in the past you have two or three people and you might think that is the winner, but this year is wide open. Our standard is higher this year. And you might not believe me because we’ve said it before, but this year I think our standard is higher.”
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Last year, the show suffered several early casualties, resulting in many asking how many more early exits can Dancing on Ice survive?
Rufus Hound was the first to depart after testing positive for COVID-19, followed by Denise Van Outen, who was forced to withdraw with a dislocated shoulder, and Billie Shepherd, who suffered a head injury.
Joe-Warren Plant was next, after testing positive for coronavirus, and it didn’t stop there, with Dancing on Ice pausing the series for one week.
A statement at the time declared: “Each week our production team and cast have delivered a fantastic show during incredibly challenging times. The welfare of all of those involved is important to us and we felt it prudent to take a week’s break at this juncture.”
Dancing on Ice starts on Sunday 16th January 2022 at 6:30pm. If you’re looking for more to watch, check out our TV Guide or visit our dedicated Entertainment hub.