There are fears that long-running ITV ice-skating competition Dancing on Ice could be coming to an end after the current 2025 series following a slump in ratings
Dancing on Ice is rumoured to be facing the axe amid falling ratings.
ITV’s ice-skating competition – which is hosted by Holly Willoughby and Stephen Mulhern – has been a staple of the winter TV schedule in recent years. But according to the Mirror, there are now “very real fears” that it could be up for the chop as it is not drawing the sort of audience it used to.
The show’s main judges Torvill and Dean have confirmed they are retiring from skating but have made it clear they will continue on the show and this year’s series has drawn a bumper crop of celebs including the likes of Steve Redgrave, Mollie Pearce and Ferne McCann. But just 2.9million people tuned in when it was launched in January.
There are now reportedly concerns it could spell the end of the road for Dancing on Ice, with the upcoming final possibly the last ever episode.
The source said: “There are very real fears this is the end of the road for Dancing on Ice.
“It’s had a good run for nearly 20 years and has a very loyal set of viewers who really love it but the sad truth is there’s just not enough of them. We need bums on seats but the ratings have dropped to a point where it’s difficult to justify the cost.”
Dancing on Ice started in 2006 and aired every year until 2015, where it took a break until being resurrected in 2018.
The show has been a fan favourite over the years, with Emily Atack, Ulrika Jonsson, Gemma Collins and Vanilla Ice among the dozens of celebs to have strapped on their skates and given the contest a go. At one point it drew an audience of 12million viewers, and the Mirror reported that even the 2024 launch episode drew 3.9million.
This year’s frontrunners Michaela Strachan, Anton Ferdinand and Sam Aston are set to battle it out in the final of the series on February 9.
Daily Star has contacted ITV for comment.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
