Dancing On Ice is back for the 2021: ITV Start Date, Contestants, Professional dancers

When Dancing On Ice 2021 will it start?

Dancing On Ice will begin on Sunday at 6pm onnc ITV.

It's official - Dancing on Ice 2021 will officially skate back onto our screens on January 17.

The show revealed the news on December 18, along with a teaser clip of the new celebrities with their pro partners.

Dancing On Ice returned to screens on Sunday night with Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield presenting. The launch comes after Denise Van Outen, 46, partially dislocated her left shoulder and damaged her tendons after falling in rehearsals with her pro partner Matt Evers on Thursday.

Returning to ITV in the new year, each week twelve celebrities will skate live with their professional partners as they try to impress both the panel and the viewers who will ultimately decide who wins the show.

The evenings are drawing in, it's getting colder and you may have started to see Christmas lights popping up around you. You know what that means? Dancing on Ice has kicked off, with its 2021 celebrity skaters already hitting the ice to begin training.

ITV's snowy flagship show is right around the corner, hitting screens in its signature January slot to while away the festive blues and take over the reality television.

Full celebrity lineup revealed

Dancing on Ice confirms its line up of professional skaters who will be pairing up with this year’s celebrities ahead of the forthcoming 2021 series.

Dancing on Ice regular Matt Evers, who has been a part of the show since it launched on ITV in 2006 will be returning to the ice alongside series favourites Alexandra Schauman and husband Lukasz Rozycki, Mark Hanretty, Hamish Gaman, Brendyn Hatfield and Vanessa Bauer who will be taking their place alongside the class of 2021.

Former Dancing On Ice alumni Andy Buchanan and wife Robin Johnstone return to the ice. Andy previously skated with Anthea Turner (2013) and Zaraah Abrahams (2014), whilst Robin partnered Gareth Thomas (2013) and Joe Pasquale (2014).

New additions to the line-up are professional coach and Disney On Ice star Angela Egan, Klabera Komini who is joining the cast as the current reigning champion from Dancing On Ice in the Netherlands and Yebin Mok, who is a member of the UK coaching elite and co-founder of Ice Theatre. Yebin is married to last year’s professional skater, Doctor and Orthopaedic surgeon Tom Naylor.

Completing the line-up are former competitive skaters and Cirque Du Soleil performers Karina Manta and skating partner Joe Johnson, who will lead the professional group performances.

All of the celebrity and professional skating partnerships will be confirmed in due course.

Dancing On Ice returns to our screens in 2021. Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby once again return to present the show and the expert panel of Torvill and Dean, John Barrowman and Ashley Banjo will all resume their roles as judges.

Who is in the Dancing on Ice 2021 lineup?

Myleene Klass - Celeblity take part Dancing on Ice 2021

According to Metro, the singer and TV presenter was the first of this year’s crop of celebrities to be revealed. Taking to Instagram to confirm the news, Myleene wrote:‘Guess who won’t be holding the coats at the side of the rink anymore! I am so, SO excited to be joining the cast of @dancingonice. ‘My girls have always wanted me to do this but I’ve always been too scared someone will skate over my fingers,’ she added. ‘Anyway, I want to make them proud and show them I’m up for a challenge when completely out of my comfort zone but most of all, I want a bum like Jlo! .’ Holly Willoughby has already pegged long-term friend Myleene as the winner of the series.

Rising to fame on Popstars in the early 2000s (which saw her land a spot in the band Hear'Say) and previously taking part in I'm a Celeb, Myleene is no stranger to reality television.

She has said that her daughters have always wanted her to take part in the skating show, but that she has "always been too scared someone will skate over my fingers!"

Let's hope she's able to avoid that in 2021.

Joe-Warren Plant - Celebrity take part Dancing on Ice 2021

Actor Joe-Warren Plant – aka Emmerdale’s Jacob Gallagher – was the second celebrity confirmed for this year’s series, revealing the news during an appearance on This Morning. ‘I’m super excited, I can’t even describe it,’ the 18-year-old said. ‘I’ve got the time off Emmerdale to really focus on training, and you know, try my best and learn some new skills. ‘It’s a new challenge I have never done anything like that before, so yeah, super excited.’ While rehearsing for the show, Plant fell and injured his knee, leaving him unable to skate for four days. Fans are hoping that the minor injury will not affect his skating too much.

Denise Van Outen - Celebrity take part Dancing on Ice 2021

Denise Van Outen was named as the third celebrity to be taking part in 2021’s series The actress and presenter was accidentally revealed by Linda Robson on Loose Women, after she was given some hints about the celeb’s identity. ‘I’m really excited…I’ve kept this a secret from most of my friends and family,’ Denise said – adding that she hadn’t even told her daughter Betsy. ‘I cannot stand up on the ice and every time I’ve taken Betsy…I’ve been the one on the penguin,’ she admitted.

Fresh from a foxy stint on the UK's very first The Masked Singer, and a spot on the Gogglebox sofa, Denise's addition to the DoI lineup was confirmed on an episode of Loose Women in September.

"Finally I get to tell people because I've literally kept this a secret from my friends and family. [Daughter] Betsy doesn't even know, she's at school so she's going to find out this afternoon when I pick her up from school," she revealed.

Faye Brookes - Celebrity take part Dancing on Ice 2021

Coronation Street star Faye Brookes – aka the soap’s Kate Connor – was the fourth celebrity to sign up for a spin round the rink. The actress was revealed for the show during an interview on Lorraine, saying: ‘Finally, the news is out. ‘I am so excited! I have to meet with the team, they had to see me on the ice, they had a coach on the ice with us, and they took us through the basics,’ she explained. ‘They get to know you and I think this is the first time people are going to see me, not a character – just Faye!’

Jason Donovan - Celebrity take part Dancing on Ice 2021

Actor and singer Jason Donovan was confirmed as the fifth celebrity for the 2021 series – with his identity being unveiled on This Morning. ‘My daughter, Molly is very excited about me doing shapes on the dance floor… or maybe not depending on how it goes! And also that the opportunity to spend a Sunday night with you guys!’ Jason told Phillip and Holly. Jason – who previously reached the final of Strictly Come Dancing – admitted he was concerned about possible injuries, saying: ‘I have to say, injury is a big part of the jeopardy of the show. ‘I think it’s a little bit different than Strictly because, you know, Strictly is really defined by the moves that you do. But skating is very much about the flow and the rhythm of being on the ice. ‘Let’s be honest, ice is not that forgiving. Um, and I am 52 I know I’m looking pretty good for that, but that could all change!’

Sonny Jay

Capital DJ Sonny Jay is the sixth celebrity to join the rink, with the DJ confirming the news to his friends and colleagues Roman Kemp and Sian Welby during the ‘good news segment’ of their breakfast show. After dropping a few hits he told them: ‘I’m going to be doing Dancing on Ice! ‘I’m so excited, I don’t know how I kept it a secret.’ Roman has tipped his colleague to win the competition already, joking: ‘You might fall over a few times and it might hurt but I think you’re going to smash this. I’ve got a lot of faith in you, pal.’ To which Sonny replied: ‘I don’t want to fall over, not in front of the nation. I don’t want to be a meme the next day.’

Graham Bell

Olympians Graham Bell and Colin Jackson CBE confirmed they will be the seventh and eighth celebrities taking part in Dancing on Ice 2021 during a joint appearance on BBC Breakfast on September 26. Five-time Olympic skier Graham, 54, told hosts John Kay and Sally Nugent that it’s not the ice that scares him, but the dancing. He joked that the extent of his dancing experience was ‘dancing on tables, wearing ski boots in après ski. It’s not graceful and elegant.’ We’ll be the judges of that, Graham. Unfortunately, Graham had to pull out of appearing in the first episode as his dance partner Yebin Mok had a ‘freak accident’. Yebin will not be able to skate for a few weeks, and so Graham will have to dance with Karina Manta in the meantime.

Rebekah Vardy

Model and media personality.

Having also previously appeared on I'm a Celeb in 2017, Rebekah has revealed that she is "so ready for the sequins and full glam squad", particularly after months of lockdown.

She's also really excited for the skating, as she used to go regularly with her family as a child.

"My dad taught me how to stand up on a pair of skates at least when I was about seven years old," she explained on Good Morning Britain.

"He used to take us to the local ice rink, so it's a really fun family thing for us to have done together."

Colin Jackson CBE

Sprint and hurdling athlete, Colin Jackson CBE, confirmed his upcoming appearance during the same BBC Breakfast segment. Despite being excited about taking part, Colin, 53, warned that he’s nervous about trying on his skating boots. He told the hosts: ‘The first thing for us all is to get used to our boots. I don’t know if you’ve tried ice skating boots but they are pretty tight so we’ve got to get our feet in there and start getting used to balancing on them. ‘We won’t get onto the ice fully until the middle of October.’

Lady Leshurr

British rapper, singer, songwriter and producer.

Announcing the news on Kiss Breakfast, Lady Leshurr admitted that she is "petrified" of taking to the ice.

"Oh my gosh, I don't what I've got myself in for, but everyone knows me to be that person to just throw myself in at the deep end and I just wing it a lot of the time," she told hosts Perri Kiely and Jordan Banjo.

Lady Leshurr also said that she is "looking forward to having a new skill" and "showing off in front of my friends".

Billie Faiers

Reality TV star from The Only Way Is Essex and The Mummy Diaries.

Sharing her exciting news on Instagram, Billie told her 2.2 million followers: "I still can't believe I am actually doing it !!... I am soooo nervous but so excited ... This will honestly be one of my biggest challenges yet !! I have zero ice skating or dance experience. But I'm going to give it my all and make my family and most of all Nelly and Arthur proud. Wish me luck."

Rufus Hound

Actor and comedian.

The final celebrity to be revealed for the year, Rufus' involvement was confirmed during Martin and Roman's Sunday Best.

"I'm doing it for the money," he joked. "I don't know if you've heard, but about six months ago this global pandemic hit and made just about everything I've ever done to earn a pound note disappear!

"And so this point has arrived and they said 'we'll pay you' and I said 'do you know something? I love ice skating!'"

Dancing on Ice 2021 pairings: Who will skate together?

Denise van Outen may have already let the cat out of the bag when it came to her partnership with fan-favourite Matt Evers (who was part of the show's first ever same-sex partnership with Steps singer Ian "H" Watkins earlier this year), but ITV the full roster for 2021.

Here are the skating couples:

• Denise Van Outen - Matt Evers
• Myleene Klass - Lukasz Rozycki
• Joe-Warren Plant - Vanessa Bauer
• Faye Brookes - Hamish Gaman
• Jason Donovan - Alexandra Schauman
• Billie Faiers - Mark Hanretty
• Graham Bell - Yebin Mok
• Lady Leshurr - Brendyn Hatfield
• Sonny Jay - Angela Egan
• Rebekah Vardy - Andy Buchanan
• Rufus Hound - Robin Johnstone
• Colin Jackson - Klabera Komini

Dancing on Ice 2021 changes: How is it going to work this year?

It's no secret that our favourite shows are needing to make some adjustments in order to go ahead during the ongoing pandemic, with I'm a Celebrity 2020 switching its location to the UK for the very first time in 20 years and Strictly Come Dancing 2020 introducing isolation bubbles for its dance pairings.

Dancing on Ice is no different, asking its celebrity contestants and their skating partners to form 'mini bubbles' in order to keep the show on track as planned.

In October, Graham Bell explained that each bubble would consist of a celebrity, a pro skater and a coach. When training, each bubble will have its own ice rink to keep them all separated from one another.

Denise Van Outen has gone one step further, and has invited her skating partner Matt Evers to live with her, her partner Eddie Boxshall (who you'll have seen on Celebrity Gogglebox), and daughter.

"I adore Matt," she told OK! in a recent interview. "I'm so happy. Before I knew who my partner was, I'd already said that if it comes to it, whoever I get partnered with could lockdown with me and stay in our spare room. I'm very happy."

Following news of England's second lockdown, ITV released a statement to confirm that the were no plans for the show to be cancelled.

"ITV takes the safety and welfare of everyone involved with its programmes extremely seriously and follows all government guidelines regarding COVID-19," the statement read (via Radio Times).

"The government has confirmed that TV production can carry on throughout lockdown, to that end we will be hiring the local ice rinks on a private and exclusive hire basis."

Six of the skating pairings will compete in the series' opener, and the remaining six will compete in the following week's show. The couple at the bottom of the table after week one's public vote will face the Skate Off against the pairing at the bottom of the table in week two – BUT, this year, the judges will have the power of the Golden Ticket.

Dancing on Ice 2021 judges and presenters: Who will host?

The judging panel will remain unchanged for series 13, featuring legendary skating pair Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean, John Barrowman (who replaced Jason Gardiner for the 2020 series) and Diversity star Ashley Banjo.

And because it just wouldn't be the same without them, Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby will also return as hosts.

What is the Dancing on Ice Golden Ticket?

ITV has announced the judges will be given the opportunity to use a Golden Ticket, which will give a couple a safe pass through to next week’s show and save them from elimination.

So how does it work?

The Golden Ticket will allow a couple to be saved from facing the public vote and therefore elimination.

It will only be in use for the first two weeks, however, and will see one couple per week in the first fortnightly shows receive a pass which will save them from the vote and see them go straight through to the third show.

Of course, the celebs and their partners will be eager to get their hands on the Golden Ticket, with those at the bottom of the leaderboard in Week One and Two at risk of being eliminated.

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