by Dancing on Ice returned for its 16th series on Sunday night. With half of the new group of celebrities taking their first trial steps onto the ice, one of the highlights of the opening show was the amazing group routine of the professional skaters – very much the unsung heroes of the league.
The role of professionals on the show should not be underestimated. In addition to creating these entertaining group numbers, they are also tasked with teaching their partners to skate. While on Strictly Come Dancing, the pros work with their celebrities for a few weeks before the first show, on Dancing on Ice the first performance is already the culmination of months of hard work.
Despite this, the professionals are still undervalued and ignored players in the show, which could be clearly seen in the first episode of the series.
Three new sons, Vanessa James, Simon Senecal and Amani Fancy, made their debut on the show on Sunday, while Annette Dytrt will perform for the first time next week. While it was great to see new talent on the ice, we didn’t learn anything about the newcomers during the show other than their nationalities, which were introduced in the form of a few lines in their famous VT.
In contrast, Strictly, a show with effectively the same format, uses the first show as an opportunity to properly introduce their new professionals, often showing them in a group and allowing the audience to get to know them from start.
Professionals are certainly now perhaps as beloved as the show itself. This is, of course, the case with long-serving figures such as Anton du Beke, who is now a judge on the show, and Oti Mabuse, who has created her own TV career and is now on the Dancing on Ice panel . But this is also true of new dancers like Vito Coppola, Jowita Przystał and Nikita Kuzmin, who all joined the show in the last three years but are already making a big impact.
Most of the pros on social media are as big or bigger than the celebrities themselves, and many people are popular enough to tour their own shows around the country throughout the year. This may not be a completely fair comparison, as dancing and ice skating are different beasts, but the point is that they are successful because Strictly made them the stars of the show.
We hear Strictly for the celebrities who take part, but we wait for the partnerships to blossom, even with juicy romantic rumors that give viewers a reason to watch every week regardless of whether there’s any truth to them. Dancing on Ice works the same way, but how are you supposed to support your favorite couple if you never get to know one half of the partner?
Dancing on Ice has always had a revolving door of professionals, partly because most of them are not permanently based in the UK, but in the early days of the show there was a core group that fans of the show loved, including Matt Evers, Maria Filippov, Frankie Poultney and Dan Whiston, the latter of whom is Associate Creative Director of the show. But the pro lineup changes a lot every year now, and it feels like the show isn’t particularly eager to invest in the pros, even the ones that are the audience’s favorites.
If there’s one pro synonymous with Dancing on Ice, it’s Matt. The American skater has been a part of every series since the show began in 2006, and his many partners have included Ian ‘H’ Watkins, with whom he formed the first same-sex partnership (before even Strictly’s Nicola Adams and Katya Jones ).
Matt was confirmed to be leaving the show back in October, with 2023 being his final series. However, it was announced without much fanfare, and the show saw fit to say goodbye to a 17-year-old professional with just one tweet from his account wishing him well.
Even worse, pro Alex Murphy won the show in 2020 with partner Joe Swash, but just a few months later she was cut from the line-up, as the heartbroken reigning champion revealed her contract was not renewed for the next series.
Everyone feels very replaced on Dancing on Ice, which creates an exciting vibe that is the complete opposite of the ‘family’ atmosphere promoted by Strictly.
The show can still make changes, and with four new benefits this year there’s no better time to make them.
We thank those professionals who have been here for a long time: Mark Hanretty, Sylvain Longchambon and Vicky Ogden have all been with the show since it went on hiatus for four years in 2014. DJ Adele Roberts is set to be the tenth celebrity of Mark. partner, celebrating over ten years of commitment to the series.
Dancing on Ice producers: let viewers get to know the new members of the group! Give them a chance to talk during the post-skate chats, praise them for their hard work and show their personality outside the rink – it will only make the partnerships more popular.
With viewing figures rapidly declining, there is no doubt that the future of the show is at stake, and if it is to survive, it needs to invest more in the people who make the show what it is. While the celebrities are the stars, the professionals are the heart of any show like Dancing on Ice, and the show would benefit greatly from recognizing this.
Dancing on Ice broadcast on ITV1 and streams on ITVX.
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