Dancing On Ice has been axed by ITV after 19 years and 14 series, with Holly Willoughby breaking her silence on the show’s cancellation – but she’s made a major snub
Holly Willoughby has broken her silence on the cancellation of Dancing On Ice after a 19-year run. The telly favourite has been a staple of the show, initially co-hosting with Phillip Schofield and later alongside Stephen Mulhern.
This marks the first time since 2004 that Holly won’t be gracing ITV screens, having kicked off her career with CITV’s Ministry of Mayhem. ITV chiefs have confirmed the ice-skating extravaganza, which debuted in 2006, will be put on ice due to dwindling viewership, dipping below the 3 million mark for the last series.
As reported earlier this month, Dancing On Ice won’t be back to mark its 20th anniversary next year. Following the news, Holly took to Instagram to share an emotional message, noticeably leaving out any mention or photos of former co-host Phillip.
Holly and Phil were once thick as thieves, teaming up for both Dancing On Ice and This Morning. However, their friendship hit rocky waters following Phil’s shocking revelation of an affair, leading him to abruptly exit ITV in 2023, reports the Mirror.
As tensions began to surface months before Phil’s bombshell announcement, Holly made her stance clear and expressed her shock over Phil’s departure in a now-viral ‘are you ok? speech upon her return to This Morning.
Holly kept her spot on Dancing on Ice as Phil was swapped out for Stephen Mulhern, but she later hung up her This Morning hat. After the curtain fell on Dancing on Ice, she posted a backstage snap from the latest series and some golden oldies, penning: “A huge thank you to @itv, The brilliant team, Crew, Celebrities and Everyone who has been part of our Dancing on Ice family over the last 19 years.
“Every year, just when January felt at its greyest, Dancing on Ice arrived like a burst of glittering, dazzling light, warm, joyful, and full of heart… It has been an absolute privilege to work alongside true national treasures Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean, and to have a front-row seat to their breathtaking skating.
“Watching them glide across the ice was nothing less than pure magic… A special thanks must also go to Arnica, Deep Heat, shapewear and fake tan, unsung heroes of the rink!”
“… I will miss it hugely, but I count myself so lucky to have had it for as long as we did. Finally and most importantly, thank you to you for watching, you’re the BEST!”
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
