Dancing on Ice made its grand return to our screens last Sunday (January 14) as twelve new celebrities took to the rink.
The newest series of the ITV show sees the likes of Olympian Greg Rutherford go up against comedian Lou Sanders as they show off their skills on the ice, together with their professional partners. However, the show already got off to a rocky start when boxing legend Ricky Hatton appeared to ‘punch’ host Stephen Mulhern, knocking him to the ground.
The stunt brought criticism from viewers who found the prank ‘cheap’ and ‘tacky’. However, other incidents that have taken place throughout the show’s history have led to Ofcom being flooded with complaints since it first launched in 2006.
READ MORE: Dancing on Ice’s Stephen Mulhern issues five-word response after Ricky Hatton punch
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So, as fans prepare to meet the second batch of contestants in the next launch show of the season, Daily Star looks back at some of the most complained about moments in Dancing on Ice history.
Feuds with judges
(Image: ITV)
In 2019, reality TV legend Dancing on Ice tried her hand at ice skating and immediately became a fan favourite. This was despite her ice skating skills, which whilst admirable, were not reaching the high scores of her fellow competitors.
Resident ‘nasty’ judge Jason Gardiner left no holes barred when Gemma performed on the ice. Receiving her critiques, Jason branded the performance as being “all over the place”.
But the GC, never one to back down, hit out at Jason for his critiques of the acts away from the rink, accusing Gardiner of selling stories about her to the media. She added that had he not have done that, she would not have been “so upset this week” about her low scores.
Jason immediately fired back, denying the claims, and admitted later that he had contacted his lawyers due to the damage to his reputation. The on-air spat did little to please viewers, however, as regulator Ofcom received 83 complaints about the pair’s behaviour.
‘Double standards’
(Image: ITV)
In early 2021, Dancing on Ice received the go-ahead for airing, despite being in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Forming a bubble, the team and the cast of the show were kept under strict rules that forbade them from breaking lockdown rules.
The same, however, could not be said for guest performer Rita Ora. In the run-up to her performance on the show, she was inundated with hate from fans after it emerged that she had broken lockdown rules to throw a party for her 30th birthday.
Fans watching the show were less than impressed with Rita’s appearance on the show, with one fan branding the singer as a “super-spreader”. Whilst a second viewer criticised the show for asking her to perform “knowing that she hosted an illegal lockdown party”.
Raunchy routines
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In January 2023, Love Island star Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu competed together with professional partner Brendyn Hatfield. Ahead of their first appearance on the show, it was revealed that the duo would be skating to the tune of Britney Spears’ “Toxic”.
During the couple’s first routine, Ekin-Su made a sly reference to her infamous “crawling” scene from her time in the villa. She laid on the ground and crawled towards the camera in what many dubbed the “sexiest routine ever”.
However, not everyone agreed, and Ofcom was flooded with 100 complaints about Ekin’s performance, with those unhappy with the performance saying it was in poor taste. It also proved to be one of the few appearances Ekin-Su made on the show, as she and Brendyn would be given the boot in Week 4.
Bad fashion choices
(Image: ITV)
Contestants are usually the brunt of criticism from judges and viewers alike on Dancing on Ice. However, not even the hosts are spared complaints, as host Holly Willoughby came under fire when she hosted the 2021 edition of the show.
In one of the weeks she was hosting, she donned a pink-rhinestoned floor length gown with feathers embellished to the shoulder straps. As she hosted the live show in the winter of 2021, some fans of the show hit out at ITV bosses for giving her the dress to wear.
Some fans were less than impressed that the ensemble showed off her cleavage, adding that it was too much for the family-friendly show to put on display. One disgruntled viewer added: “That dress is far too sexy for a family show.”
Dancing on Ice airs every Sunday at 6:30pm on ITV1 and ITVX
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
