Dancing on Ice sees celebrities learning a whole new skill, perfecting their spins, jumps and glides as they gracefully skate around the rink alongside their professional partner. Although it sounds like fun, the hit ITV show has seen its fair share of dramas, disasters and scandals during its almost two-decade stint.
Viewers have been gripped by this year’s series with Sam Aston, Charlie Brooks, Dan Edgar Anton Ferdinand, Mollie Pearce, Steve Redgrave, Michaela Strachan and Chris Taylor still in the competition in a bid to skate their way to the final. But former Love Island star Chris, 34, has been dealt a devastating blow as it was announced just hours before Sunday’s live show (2 February) that his professional partner, Vanessa Bauer, has had to pull out of the series after an ‘accident backstage.’
Confirming the unexpected news, Vanessa heartbreakingly shared in a video that she had no choice but to leave after an MRI scan revealed multiple injuries. She said: “I unfortunately had a little accident backstage last week on Dancing on Ice just before the live show on Sunday. And I didn’t realise how bad it was then, but we did an MRI and it turned out that I have a completely torn ligament, grade three sprain injury and a major grade two sprain injury. I shouldn’t be skating on an injury like that and so I’m taking all of the advice from the medical professionals here, I am in very good hands.”
This comes just a week after comedian Josh Jones withdrew from the competition after he sustained an injury in rehearsals. With two Dancing on Ice stars already forced to pull out just weeks into the show, we’ve taken a look back at what else has unravelled backstage and on the ice in past years…
‘Bullying’ claims
During Dancing on Ice in 2020, viewers were left in shock when model Caprice Bourret exited the show following a fallout with her skating partner Hamish Gaman, amid swirling rumours about who caused their clash. Caprice then partnered up briefly with Oscar Peter for just one performance before deciding to leave the competition permanently.
In the aftermath, Caprice lashed out at ITV, blasting them for supposedly not providing enough support and was quoted by The Sun saying, “There is no duty of care. In America, they have to have it or they get sued.” She went on to criticise the network for lacking common decency in what she referred to as ‘destructive shows’, stating, “It’s just thinking about other people, it’s just common decency, I think, when it comes to these kinds of destructive shows. We have to have a soul at some point for God’s sakes.”
However, ITV dismissed her accusations, insisting on their commitment to duty of care with a statement, saying: “We take our duty of care very seriously. We have always been fully committed to ensuring that everyone involved on Dancing On Ice is fully supported.
“We take allegations of bullying very seriously but found no evidence on Dancing On Ice and we strongly refute any suggestion to the contrary.” We’re very proud of the team, both on and off screen. They produce a fantastic show and we are committed to ensuring that everyone who works on the programme is fully supported.”
Bloody injuries
During Rebekah Vardy’s stint on the show in 2021, she accidentally sliced her partner Andy Buchanan’s face open with her ice skate during rehearsals. He was rushed to the hospital, and later, Rebekah said, “It was quite scary. But it brings back the realisation that what we’re doing is really bloody dangerous.”
In 2020, Joe Swash managed to injure himself and was rushed to hospital for an emergency operation after being kicked in the ear with an ice skate. Joe revealed he suffered from ‘cauliflower ear’ and had to sport a hefty bandage around his head just a week before clinching the victory.
Antony Cotton was rushed to hospital back in 2018 after a horror fall. The Sean Tulley actor collapsed in agony after a move with dance partner Brandee Malto went horribly wrong. They both lost their balance and fell backwards onto the hard ice, with Antony bearing the brunt of it and fracturing his ribs. Despite being ordered to rest and losing training days, Antony courageously vowed to carry on with the competition.
In 2012, Jennifer Ellison had one of the most gruesome moments in the show’s history when she sliced her own scalp on the ice. The former Brookside actress attempted the tricky scorpion kick, which ended disastrously, with paramedics rushing in as blood streamed from her head. Despite the injury, she went on to finish the show in fourth place.
David Seaman had an unfortunate accident with his pro skating partner Pam O’Connor in 2006. During rehearsals, David tried to swing Pam round by her feet with her face just inches away from the ice. However, the former Arsenal goalkeeper accidentally dropped Pam onto the ice in a horrific crash. Pam was rushed to hospital after splitting open her chin and needed stitches, but ever the professional, she returned to the ice to skate with David again.
Stolen spots
Meanwhile, in 2019, whispers began that Maura Higgins had nabbed a spot on Dancing On Ice, originally pegged for fellow Love Island champ Amber Gill. Despite being an early favourite for the 2020 series, Amber told The Sun she was unaware of any confirmed slot, saying, “I didn’t realise I had a place to lose, to be honest.”
She shared, “I think a few islanders from this series went to ITV and had a chat about Dancing On Ice, but it’s a super-huge commitment and I went away from that meeting thinking it was probably a bit much, training constantly.” However, she did express due diligence, saying: “I went to see them, though, because I think you have got to find out what something is before you just say a flat-out no.” Addressing the rumours, Maura told Mirror, “I mean, I know a lot of people went for castings for the show, but I was lucky enough to get it.”
Romances
Through the years, there have been rumours of romances blossoming backstage amid the infamous ‘Dancing on Ice curse’, akin to the Strictly Come Dancing curse. A memorable split that’s etched in reality TV lore was between Love Island’s Megan Barton Hanson and Wes Nelson, which unfolded during Wes’ time on Dancing on Ice in 2019.
The breakup became public when Megan expressed her dismay after Wes’ partner, Vanessa Bauer, announced her own breakup right before their first performance, a move Megan branded as “tactical” and headline-grabbing. Despite denying jealousy was the root of her outburst, Megan later conceded that she did feel pangs of envy. A mere two weeks after Megan’s public outburst, she divulged that her romance with Wes was over – yet she still turned up to cheer him from the Dancing On Ice audience post-split.
Back in 2013, the so-called ‘curse’ gripped EastEnders’ very own Matt Lapinskas, who, at the time, was dating fellow star Shona McGarty. Although Shona supported him from the sidelines on his first skate, their relationship crumbled mid-series as he fell for his ice partner, Brianne Delcourt. The pair strongly denied there was a cross-over at the time of the split, but when he moved on from Brianne with a theatre co-star, the heartbroken figure skater came clean.
Speaking to The Sun, Brianne fumed: “He pursued me behind Shona’s back. Lots of people warned me but I didn’t listen. I’ve stood by and lied for him about when we got together as I loved him and didn’t want to hurt Shona.”
Meanwhile, Samia Ghadie, then content in her relationship with Corrie colleague Will Thorp, encountered turbulence ahead of her Dancing on Ice stint. Both had previously left their marriages to be together, but it ended just before her skating debut – a time coinciding with her dance partner Sylvain Longchambon bidding adieu to his girlfriend, Hollyoaks star Jennifer Metcalfe.
Months later, newly single Samia and Sylvain finally confirmed the curse had struck and admitted they were an item, gushing: “It’s love!” The pair then went on to marry in the summer of 2016 and subsequently welcomed their son, Yves Joseph.
