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TV Quickfire: Phillip Schofield on the new series of Dancing on Ice

Dancing on Ice is back and this year it's bigger and better than ever. We found out more from host Phillip Schofield...

Dancing on Ice hosts Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby
Dancing on Ice hosts Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby Dancing on Ice hosts Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby

WHAT CAN VIEWERS EXPECT TO SEE IN THIS SERIES?

AS WITH everything, every year it's always stepped up. It will be great to have everybody back and with a little bit of luck we will make it through unscathed. It's no secret we really struggled to get it on air last year but we're back, we are confident, and the line-up is amazing. I am led to believe that the standard of some of the skating is amazing.

OTI MABUSE HAS JOINED THE JUDGING PANEL, WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THE NEW LINE-UP?

Amazing. I adore John [Barrowman] and obviously we will miss that larger-than-life personality but in every panel you want to make sure each area is well and truly serviced. Oti will definitely be the one to pick them up on their dancing skills and that's really important.

So, you've got Ashley with the overall showbiz nature and difficulty with the moves; obviously Jayne and Chris who have ice skating sewn up; and then you've got Oti, who knows exactly what's required. She will be a great part of the team.

WHICH CELEBRITIES ARE YOU EXCITED TO SEE?

I think there is more than one person who is going to wow this year. You've got dancers who I think are going to do particularly well, and I think Kye Whyte is fearless so that always helps when you've got someone who isn't actually scared of the ice or scared of breaking something.

THE COMPETITIVE SPIRIT MUST BE FIERCE?

They are all friends, and it is a lovely family. Every so often there are scraps in every family but it's mostly a family. You always find, well certainly with the sports people, that they take it very seriously and are so self-critical and they beat themselves up.y

WHAT DO THE CELEBRITIES NEED TO BRING TO THE ICE TO GET THROUGH EACH WEEK?

I think they've got to be themselves. I don't think you can persuade anybody to vote for you; I think they will vote if they're a fan, they'll vote if you've impressed them and they'll vote if you appear to be having a good time.

There have been a couple of people who have, let's say, been spikey. If you are spikey I think you are unlikely to win them [the public] over – but we still like you if you're spikey. It doesn't make any difference as far as I'm concerned.

ARE YOU STILL SURPRISED EACH SERIES?

Well last series took us by surprise in a number of different ways – and in ways that none of us ever want to repeat, so yes it does still surprise you. What surprised me last year was although we did falter and fall once, we still kept it pretty much on the telly. The team was amazingly careful, but it was a perfect storm of injury and Covid.

I am always surprised by ability, and someone will come out of nowhere and you'll think, "Wow, this is beautiful, what a wonderful moment" or "That was extraordinary". So, there are always moments like that, so yes it surprises me because people sign up for it because I wouldn't. I'm A Celeb is the one for me; that's the one I'd want to do.

ARE YOU EVER TEMPTED TO TAKE TO THE ICE?

I actually did, with Christine [Lampard]. We learnt the routine and I thought it was amazing. I watched it back and I thought I was zipping across the ice, but I was like a tortoise, so slow.

:: Dancing on Ice screens on Saturday evenings on ITV