'Dancing on Ice' hosts Jane Torvill and Christopher Dean

'Dancing on Ice' stars 'too rough'

Wednesday, 25 March 2009

The professional skating stars of 'Dancing on Ice' face the sack for looking "rough".

The celebrities' partners on the ITV reality show face losing their jobs because bosses say they don't compare to their rivals on BBC show 'Strictly Come Dancing'.

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A source said: "Bosses have been aware for some time their professionals are a rare-looking bunch. They might get by with their sequins on but they look rough in training scenes.

"Apart from pulling and pushing their partners around, the pros just don't have a role on 'Dancing on Ice'.

"On 'Strictly Come Dancing' the dancers are almost as famous as the celebrities. We need that from our skaters and the cast just isn't cutting it. No new contracts have been given to any of the stars yet."

Show judge Jason Gardiner has warned the professional skaters - which include Stuart Widdall, Florentine Houdiniere, Frankie Poultney and Andrei Lipanov - that the only essential members of the show are its hosts, ex-Olympic skating champions Jane Tovill and Christopher Dean.

He said: "The skaters and judges are all dispensable. If they need to make the changes they'll make them. Everybody is replaceable - except Torvill and Dean."

Meanwhile, former Liberty X singer Jessica Taylor - who came third on Sunday's (22.03.09) 'Dancing On Ice' final - believes she would have won if she'd made it to the final two.

The beauty was in tears when she was eliminated from the competition and left the final showdown to winner Ray Quinn and Donal MacIntyre.

She said: "No matter how much he was the favourite, wasn't about to roll over and say, 'Ray's won it'. Our Bolero would have given him a run for his money. It was heartbreaking to be stood in our outfits ready to go. I really wanted to do Bolero. We'd choreographed it ourselves and had been working on it all week."