Devotees of Dancing on Ice should savour the upcoming final, as it could potentially be the last episode ever aired. Renowned judges Torvill and Dean have already bid farewell to their roles, delivering an emotional live performance on the ITV show last month.
According to sources within the channel, the Sunday night series, hosted by Holly Willoughby and Stephen Mulhern, is likely to be axed next year due to plummeting ratings.
The show’s viewership has significantly dwindled from its peak when 12 million people tuned in. Last year, the programme recorded its lowest live audience ever, with only 2.9 million viewers for one episode, a decrease of 700,000 from the 3.6 million who watched the season premiere weeks earlier.
This year, the launch episode attracted just 2.9 million viewers, and by the fifth episode, another half a million had switched off, leaving a mere 2.4 million.
These figures indicate that over the past two years, Dancing on Ice has lost more than a million viewers. The 2023 launch was viewed by 4.1 million, but this series never surpassed 3 million, according to official overnight ratings from BARB, reports the Mirror.
Dancing on Ice might be skating on thin ice as channel executives ponder the show’s future amidst dwindling audience numbers and hefty production expenses. According to an insider: “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.”
With its celebrity participants reportedly pocketing six-figure paychecks and other significant outlays covering host fees, professional skater wages, and judges’ salaries—featuring skating greats Torvill and Dean, Strictly’s Oti Mabuse, and dance aficionado Ashley Banjo—the show’s expenditure is vast. Add to this the upkeep of the custom-made studio ice rink at Bovingdon Airfield in Hertfordshire, and the costs pile up.
In response to queries about the programme’s continuation, an ITV spokeswoman conveyed to The Mirror that no decision would be made until after the much anticipated series finale: “The Dancing on Ice team is fully concentrating on the much anticipated series finale this coming Sunday and therefore no decision has been made.”
She highlighted that with catch-up viewing factored in, the current series averaged 3 million spectators and attributed part of its success to 3.6 million streams on ITVX.
Michaela Strachan is currently the hot favourite to win next Sunday’s trophy on Dancing On Ice, with bookmakers giving her evens. Should she claim victory, Strachan would become the first woman to take the title since gymnast Beth Tweddle’s 2013 win.
The BBC wildlife presenter stands as the last female competitor in the running, going up against Corrie actor Sam Aston, TOWIE personality Dan Edgar, and ex-professional footballer Anton Ferdinand.
Meanwhile, ice skating legends Torvill and Dean have bid farewell to live performances, having wrapped up their final tour. When announcing their retirement from performing a year ago, the iconic duo stated: “We have no plans to step back from Dancing On Ice and hope that the series continues for years to come.”
Dancing On Ice originally took to our screens in 2006 but came to a temporary halt after its ninth season in 2014. This was when Torvill and Dean decided it was best to leave “on a high” in the wake of celebrating their Bolero win’s 30th anniversary.
Christopher Dean remarked at the time, stating, “I think there comes a time when you know we’re not spring chickens any more,” acknowledging that while they were still proficient, such capability would naturally diminish over time.
The show made a triumphant return four years later, with Torvill and Dean transitioning from mentors to the contestants to judges, a role they have fulfilled ever since. Should the show face cancellation in 2026, Stephen Mulhern and Holly Willoughby fans needn’t worry; the pair are set to create more episodes of the revived game show You Bet later this year.