Holly Willoughby graced the stage of 'Dancing on Ice' 2024, exuding elegance in a stunning strapless black gown with silver detailing. Returning as the host for the popular ITV1 ice-sketing competition, Willoughby, 43, paired her Mugler dress, featuring a daring leg slit, with black strappy heels from Stuart Weitzman. Excited about the show's second week, she teased her followers on Instagram with the caption: "Week 2 of @dancingonice… tonight our remaining celebrities take to the ice to fight for their place in the competition… someone will leave the show tonight!"
This week, the judges Oti Mabuse, Ashley Banjo, Jayne Torvill, and Christopher Dean prepared to score the celebrity contestants, all eager to impress on the icy stage. The second episode featured five new famous faces, including iconic 'EastEnders' star Charlie Brooks, who opened the show performing to ABBA’s "Gimme Gimme Gimme" alongside professional partner Eric Radford.
Brooks received generous scoring; each judge awarded her 6.5, bringing her total to 26 out of 40. While the judges praised her effort, audience reactions were mixed. Some viewers took to social media to voice their disappointment, claiming Brooks had been "overmarked". One viewer remarked on X, “Charlie will need to do some actual skating to progress #DancingOnIce,” reflecting the sentiment of several fans who felt scoring lacked fairness this time around.
A second wrote, “Overmarked #dancingonice,” echoing frustrations of many who believed the judges were almost overly cautious, prioritizing political correctness over honest critique. Another fan expressed it bluntly: “Christ f*** off with the PC 'can’t hurt people’s feelings' scoring. Back in the day, this would have gotten 3! #dancingonice.” Despite the criticism, some viewers still supported Brooks, with one stating, “Charlie’s performance was really good #dancingonice.”
Among the other contestants, former Olympian Sir Steve Redgrave took to the ice, aiming to showcase his skills, albeit with physical challenges. Known for his legendary rowing career, Redgrave also lives with Type 2 diabetes and Dupuytren's contracture—a condition affecting the connective tissue of his palms. He humorously remarked, “if I do fall over, I may have trouble getting up,” but remained optimistic about giving the performance his all.
The audience was anxious to see how Redgrave would perform; as he entered the competition, the betting odds placed him firmly at the bottom with 100/1 to win. Commenting on his diagnosis, Redgrave addressed the importance of knowledge about diabetes. “Your health is largely in your own hands. Get educated and act on what you know,” his insightful words echoing beyond the scope of the show.
Across social media, fans continued to express their bewilderment over the judging standards. A particularly vocal segment of the audience critiqued how certain contestants received similar scores regardless of performance quality. Tweets like, “What is the point of @torvillanddean? They each give exactly the same score every time!!” highlighted widespread sentiments of confusion among viewers about the apparent inconsistencies.
Former footballer Anton Ferdinand is another contestant captivating viewers this season. The 39-year-old, who has transitioned to life after football, stated his motivation for joining 'Dancing on Ice' stemmed from both personal challenge and his desire to share this experience with his daughter, who harbors aspirations for performance arts. Ferdinand remarked, “Dancing On Ice will give me the focus I need, but I’m also doing it for my daughter because she loves dance.”
Returning for the second week, the atmosphere was one of curiosity, anticipation, and palpable tension as the audience awaited who might be voted off. Betting sources offered some insight, with Michaela Strachan topping the leaders at 5/2 after initially starting at 10/1, creating buzz around this seemingly unpredictable competition.
Overall reactions from audiences have been a mix of enticement and critique, which plays no small part in the reality competition's allure. One user grumbled, “The scoring on this show is so bloody random,” pointing to the pervasive uncertainty among fans about the judges' assessments. Yet the vibrancy of the performances continues to captivate viewers, making every weekly installment of 'Dancing on Ice' must-see TV.
'Dancing on Ice' will proceed with its third episode airing this Sunday, promising to reveal not only the skills of the remaining contestants but also impacting the odds as the first round of public voting will commence. With the spotlight firmly on the skaters, who will secure their future on the ice, and who will take the tumble?