Viewers of Dancing on Ice have been left disgruntled after numerous sexual innuendos were made during the show. Several took to social media to voice their disapproval, deeming the jokes unsuitable, particularly in light of ITV’s recent decision to sever ties with Gino D’Acampo.
Gino, who is facing allegations of “sexual misconduct” from multiple individuals over a 12-year period, denies the allegations, calling them “deeply upsetting”.
During the show, as contestant Chris Taylor was about to perform his ice skating routine to “Golden Hour”, Stephen Mulhern made a joke, saying he had misheard it as “golden shower”, a term referring to a sex act. Holly Willoughby’s shocked reaction was followed by a camera cutaway to Chris rehearsing before his performance.
Stephen also made light-hearted remarks about “buttered muffins” and “getting his pompoms out”. Fans quickly took to social media to express their distaste for the “inappropriate joke”. One user stated: “With @ ITV being in the midst of the Gino scandal, you’d think they’d be a bit more careful about golden shower jokes on a family show #dancingonice.”
Another user questioned the inconsistency in ITV’s actions, saying: “So we are cancelling Gino but not Mulhern for his comments? Bit cold to get his Pom poms out? Make it make sense.”
A third user chimed in, saying: “Stephen just tried to allude that the dance was about a “golden shower” it was a joke…. How many did he offend at 18:30 on a Sunday night?”A fourth viewer didn’t mince their words, exclaiming: “The saying is…. The Show Must Go On! In the case of #DancingOnIce it should be ….The Show Must Go! Waste of money and time. I’ve given it a shot for a couple of weeks but it’s old hat! Predictable in places, judges contradictory. Holly cringey! Switching off!”
Chris Taylor’s skating companion Vanessa Bauer found herself out of the competition when she tore ligaments in her leg during practice. The setback for the ITV favourite meant welcoming Robin Johnstone to partner up with him for his latest stint on the ice, a routine that saw them taking a tumble during their first dance together on Feb 2. However, the duo made a swift comeback and saw through their performance.
Catch Dancing on Ice aevery Sunday at 6.25pm on ITV1.