Dancing on Ice 2019 pairings revealed

Jane Danson and Sylvain Longchambon

Coronation Street veteran Jane Danson, who plays Cobbles favourite Leanne Battersby, has joined forces with French skating star Sylvain Longchambon.

Longchambon has had some success in the show when partnered with Hollyoaks star Jennifer Metcalfe in 2011, reaching week 4 of the competition. He faired slightly better when dancing with fellow Corrie star Samia Ghadie in 2013, where he was eliminated in Week 8 (he subsequently married Ghadie in 2016).

In last series, Dancing on Ice favourite Longchambon did not do so well, being eliminated in the second week after being partnered with Hollyoaks star Stephanie Waring. Will dancing with Danson see Longchambon score his first win?

Saara Aalto and Hamish Gaman

X Factor runner-up Saara Aalto is teamed up with British pair skater Hamish Gaman, who made his Dancing on Ice debut in the 2018 series. Having previously been partnered with Olympic athlete Perri Shakes-Drayton, Gaman only made it to the third week of the competition before being given the boot.

Gemma Collins and Matt Evers

Dancing on Ice OG Matt Evers will be responsible for whipping TOWIE diva Gemma Collins into shape as they prepare to take to the ice. Evers only briefly featured in the 2018 series of Dancing on Ice, being the first to be eliminated after his routine with Bake Off champion Candice Brown failed to impress.

There has been previous speculation that Collins may not even make it to the live shows, after it was reported she was throwing “diva strops” while training – something that was denied by ITV.

However, Dancing on Ice host Phillip Schofield is similarly sceptical of Collins’ staying power.
“She’s known to be a walker, and I’d like her to be known as a skater,” he told RadioTimes.com

Melody Thornton and Alexander Demetriou

Singer Melody Thornton is following in fellow Pussycat Doll Ashley Roberts’ footsteps by entering a dance competition. But while Roberts is smashing it on Strictly, it’s yet to be seen how Thornton will be doing, being partnered with new pro skater Alexander Demetriou.

Didi Conn and Lukasz Rozycki

This year’s megastar billing is Frenchie from Grease, who has been partnered with returning Dancing on Ice pro Lukasz Rozycki. Having previously been partnered with Elen Rivas and Laila Morse, his best performance came in series 9 of Dancing on Ice after he came third when partnered with Olympic gymnast Beth Tweddle. He has now flown out to America to train with Conn.

Saira Khan and Mark Hanretty

Scottish skating pro Mark Hanretty is carrying on his tradition of dancing with Loose Women stars, having previously been partnered with Nadia Sawalha in series 6 of Dancing on Ice. Having returned for the revival of Dancing on Ice last year, he was partnered with TV personality Donna Air – being the sixth eliminated from the competition.

Brian McFadden and Alex Murphy

Alex Murphy narrowly missed the finals with Love Island star Kem Cetinay after being eliminated in the penultimate week. Willformer Westlie singer Brian McFadden be able to take her further?

Ryan Sidebottom and Brandee Malto

Brand new last series, Brandee Malto was the 7th eliminated from the competition after failing to impress with Coronation Street star Anthony Cotton. Can cricketer Ryan Sidebottom be able to take her further?

Mark Little and Brianne Delcourt

Former Neighbours actor Mark Little has turned to comedy after leaving the popular Australian soap – but we’re betting he’ll be desperate for everyone to keep a straight face as he takes to the floor with Dancing on Ice veteran Brianne Delcourt. Having previously been runner up with Matt Lapinskas in series 8, with Delcourt be able to win with Little?

Richard Blackwood and Carlotta Edwards

Former EastEnders star and rapper Richard Blackwood has been partnered with newbie Carlotta Edwards, who has joined the show this series with husband Alexander Deremetriou. Will there be any marital rivalry going on?

James Jordan and Alexandra Schauman

Having previously been paired with the not so brilliant Todd Carty in series 9, Alexandra Shauman must be relieved to be partnered with former Strictly Come Dancing professional James Jordan.

While some have claimed Jordan has an advantage with his previous dance experience, he denied this was the case.

Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, he explained, “People are going to probably say I've got an unfair advantage but when I got on the ice, I actually shocked myself how bad I was.

"I can dance but I'm a lot older than I used to be. I want to be able to impress Torvill and Dean more than anyone else, but I'm a lot worse than I thought I'd be."

Wes Nelson and Vanessa Bauer

Love Island finalist Wes Nelson showed off his rhythm with his smooth moves in the villa, but will he be able to replicate the success of Vanessa Bauer’s last partner, previous winner Jake Quickenden?

Dancing on Ice starts on ITV on Sunday 6th January 2019 at 6pm

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