ITV’s Dancing on Ice will look a little different on our screens this weekend, with new judge Oti Mabuse taking over from John Barrowman on the panel.
Oti was recently confirmed as John Barrowman’s replacement, after it was revealed the actor wouldn’t be returning to the series.
Phillip Schofield has now spoken about the change, saying: “I adore John and obviously we will miss that larger-than-life personality.”
However, the presenter is looking forward to Strictly pro Oti joining the series for 2022, and thinks she’ll make a fine judge.
“In every panel you want to make sure each area is well and truly serviced. Oti will definitely be the one to pick them up on their dancing and their dancing skills and that’s really important,” he said.
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Speaking of the returning judges, Jayne Torvill, Christopher Dean and Ashley Banjo, he added: “So, you’ve got Ashley with the overall showbiz nature and difficulty with the moves, obviously Jayne and Chris who have ice skating sewn up and then you’ve got Oti who knows exactly what’s required.
“We really like her as well. She has been on This Morning a lot, so we know she will be a great part of the team.”
While Phillip thinks Oti will fit in perfectly, he says Strictly Come Dancing is a “walk in the park” in comparison to the skating show.
He continued: “I love Strictly but compared to the skills that are required for Dancing on Ice it’s a walk in the park, because you have the possibility of real danger, real injury. You have a rink that is full of essentially blades and we know how dangerous they can be and how deeply they can cut and how sharp they are.
“I’ve just watched a video of Bez on his second day fall over backwards so hard that his helmet flew off. It’s one of those things, but you don’t see that on Strictly.
“Dancing on Ice is really dangerous. They really all risk everything for it. We’ve seen in the past that people do get hurt and of course you want to avoid that at all cost. I think we will be wrapping Bez up in bubble wrap, that’s for sure.”
Dancing on Ice starts on ITV on Sunday 16th January at 6:30pm. Want something else to watch? Check out our full TV Guide or visit our Entertainment hub for the latest news.