Dancing On Ice shake up as skate off gets major change ‘to avoid upsetting celebs’

DANCING on Ice bosses have canned the skate-off as we know it in a huge overhaul to help celebrities cope with training demands.

Couples will no longer have to perform a whole new dance if they land in the bottom two and instead will repeat an old routine.

It comes in the wake of Strictly’s summer of scandal, with a new spotlight on how hard stars are pushed on challenge TV shows.

A source said: “On Dancing on Ice, in the past all the couples had to prepare a special skate-off dance which would be ready in case they were voted into the bottom two.

“But that meant on top of learning their main routine, any group dances – and sometimes more – the pairs were in most cases having to learn a dance that went to waste.

“Bosses have rethought the plan moving forwards and couples in the bottom two will now be asked to simply repeat the same dance that they performed on the main show.

“Duty of care was also paramount on DOI but the new approach will reduce the demands on everyone and makes the most sense in terms of training schedules and efficiency.”

Since Graziano Di Prima was axed from Strictly Come Dancing over claims he kicked Zara McDermott during training, there has been a renewed focus on duty of care for performers.

ITV has installed a 24-hour hotline so its DOI cast can speak out “without fear of abuse”.

Insiders said officials on the Sunday night ITV hit had sent its 12 celebrities a six-page letter warning that the show could leave them “physically and mentally drained”.

It also warns them about their conduct with their professional partners and adds: “Winning should never come at the expense of integrity and respect.”

Following the BBC’s scandal, Michael Barrymore, who appeared on Dancing on Ice in 2020, claimed in July that he saw dancers abused on the show.

In October pro skater Vanessa Bauer told The Sun the new hotline was “very necessary”.

She added: “We were all made aware, all the girls were made aware and the celebrities, that there’s a helpline that we can call at any time of the day, every single day.

“So we are very well looked after at ITV.

“It is comforting to know and I’m putting myself out there – I think it’s very necessary.”