Dancing on Ice axed ''at end of natural life''
Torvill and Dean confirm that the 2014 series of the celebrity skating show will be its last
Hang up your skates and pack away your Bolero jackets, Olympic skaters Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean have confirmed the end of ITV’s skating show Dancing on Ice.
Chris told Daybreak, “Next year Dancing on Ice is going to be our final Dancing on Ice. It’s come full circle for us, it’s 30 years since we performed in Bolero, on February 14th, Valentine’s Day, and it will be 30 years next year and we just thought for us it’s sort of full circle.“
A source close to the show told RadioTimes.com "We felt that the show had come to the end of its natural life. All good things have to come to an end – we felt that it was good to go out on a high.
"[Programme] commissioning has to take difficult decisions – we did it with The Bill, we did it with Heartbeat, we’re determined to keep our schedule fresh and exciting. It’s a great opportunity for creative renewal.
"Everyone's determined to make the last series go out with a bang – hopefully we’ll get some good [celebrity] names. It’s a brave decision but it’s a positive one."
Dancing on Ice hit a ratings high of 13 million for the finale of its opening series but has since seen its audience cut almost in half.
The source added "There’s been quite a lot of talk about falling ratings but it averaged about 7.3 [million] last year, which is still pretty good in this day and age. It’s been going for nine years – it’s had a good innings."
Show host Phillip Schofield told his Twitter fans to “enjoy it while you can”, joking that he can now take up skiing again. Head judge Robin Cousins added that it’s been a “great 8 years”, sending his thanks to the fans for their “amazing support.”
Beloved skating duo Torvill and Dean, who twirled their way to a sequin-clad victory at the 1984 Winter Olympics, say they are keen to ensure the series goes out with a bang. Apparently, viewers can expect more than ever from the final ninth season, which will see another batch of celebrities attempt to perform on ice with a pro-skater. Although with a Pamela Anderson boob slip already achieved in the recent series, what more is there left to do? The show’s final hurrah will be a live tour in March, which will include performances by Torvill and Dean themselves.
Chris went on to confirm that the end of the show doesn’t mean the end of the pair’s skating career, saying that, rather than hang up their skates, they’re simply slowing them down a little bit. Jayne says they have other projects they are excited about, too. For Jayne’s sake we hope this doesn’t have anything to do with being anywhere near Joe Pasquale, his jock strap and his bunion...
