Dancing on Ice 2011 - The final skate-off

By Jason Wright (Entertainment Expert)

THE months of hard work and training had now really paid off.  For Sam Attwater, Laura Hamilton or Chloe Madeley, one of them would join the Dancing on Ice hall of fame as a champion.  The decision would be made entirely by the public and they had two performances to impress them.

     In the first performance, each finalist performed a “final showcase” in which they were able to produce, choreograph, and devise their own routine to a certain theme.  Along with the aid of their professional partner, they also each worked with up to four additional pros in the routine.

     First up with competition favourites Sam & Brianne with a footloose themed number, joined by Frankie Poultney, Dan Whiston, Nina Ulanova and Matt Evers.  In a show first, the showcase contained not one, not two but three headbangers, all at the same time!  Very risky, but it was pulled off and with the rest of the performance nailed to perfection, it deserved the first 10 marks of the competition.

SAFE: Laura's first performance was a bit too secure

     Next was Laura’s turn.  She and Colin were assisted by Sylvain Longchambon and Mark Hanretty, being very brave in only going for two extra pros.  Though, the setting and presentation was spectacular, the gamble didn’t seem to pay off and was considered by the judges as a little too safe.  Finally, Chloe and Michael were accompanied by Alexandra Schumann, Lukasz Rozycki, Jodeyne Higgins and Sean Rice for a Dirty Dancing inspired routine.  As with Laura, it didn’t really show much of Chloe’s strengths or expose any weaknesses but the marks were a tad unfair as it seem a little bit better than Laura’s. 

SHOWCASE SCORES

Sam & Brianne 29.5

Laura & Colin 26.0

Chloe & Michael 25.5

REVEALED: Jason removes his hat to praise Laura

For their second routine before the first elimination, each couple would re-enact a routine from a previous week and tweak it a little to ensure it got higher marks than before.  Firstly, Sam performed his Riverdance themed routine from Week 8.  Perfecting the traditional Irish dance was on his cards and it worked but was left astounded when the judges’ only gave him half mark improvements on last time.  With the highest score out of all previous routines to be done in this round, the omens were good for Laura to match Sam in earning a 10 mark.  Her dance to ‘I’m So Excited’, as first done on the ninth week, it did the job in acquiring a 10…only for it to achieve a perfect score!  The praise led to judge Jason Gardiner finally removing his hat after 12 weeks to reveal a huge growth of hair!  Last up, Chloe went back to her Bollywood inspired routine.  A huge risk considering it wasn’t her highest scoring routine of the series so it was just a case of getting as high as she could, and that was easily achieved.

PREVIOUS ROUTINE SCORES

Laura & Colin 30.0

Sam & Brianne 28.5

Chloe & Michael 28.5

TOTAL SCORES

Sam & Brianne 58.0

Laura & Colin 56.0

Chloe & Michael 54.0

CONSISTENT: However, it wasn't enough to get Chloe to skate the Bolero

Dancing on Ice had never experienced a tighter final than this before with just six points separating the final three.  Sam was still the front-runner but with Laura’s maximum score putting her right into contention and Chloe’s consistency of convincing the public, this was not going to be an easy decision as to which two couples would skate the Bolero.

     In the end, the result was as widely predicted.  Sam and Laura advanced into the skate-off for the title and Chloe exited in third place.  In the Bolero skate, Sam did his right to near-perfection whilst Laura struggled with what content to put in and that would prove to be her undoing and a sloppy first half to the routine handed Sam the title on a plate.

WINNERS: Sam and Brianne are 2011 champions

     Most people would have been convinced that Sam was simply showing off throughout most of the competition but no one could deny that his Bolero was completely the better and deserved to win.  He like Laura and Chloe came into the competition as unknowns, rarely mentioned in the public spotlight but they will prove to be all winners as their heroics have acquired them a huge fanbase and all three will move on to bigger and better opportunities.

     Overall, despite a thrilling final, the verdict on the series has been very lacklustre with many people saying these huge changes to the show’s format hasn’t worked and it has in fact, sent the show backwards.  ITV will undoubtedly want to call an urgent meeting of the producers to discuss what went wrong and decide on how to make it better next year.  I’m not one to judge on this issue but I think I have to be fair and say it could have done better and maybe this format can do another series and then decide which direction the show is heading from then.

     However, amongst the rather criticism and questionable choice of the public, everyone has congratulate Sam Attwater for becoming Dancing on Ice Champion 2011.  Once again, the pre-competition favourite has triumphed in sensational fashion.

Dancing on Ice 2011 - Props week

By Jason Wright (Entertainment expert)

DANCING on Ice just wouldn’t be the same without a props week in which the couples are challenged to perform with an item.  This year it was made even tougher, as they had to skate with two props each and to try and not get distracted by the sight of swing band The Overtones, who performed with each of the routines.

Sam Attwater & Brianne Delcourt

Skated to: Beggin’

Props: Hat and Microphone stand

SCRAPPY: Sam had another bad night on the rink

In these last few weeks, it’s fair to say that Sam hasn’t had his way of late.  Problems in training with the hat meant he changed it right before the show…only to blow it by dropping it and then blaming it for the questionable performance.  A vicious argument with Jason Gardiner afterwards meant it was another bad week at the office for the bookies favourite.

Scores: Jason 8.0, Robin 8.0, Emma 8.5                                   TOTAL: 24.5/30.0 (3rd)

Johnson Beharry & Jodeyne Higgins

Skated to: Goodnight Sweetheart

Props: Hat and Umbrella

Something that has kept Johnson in this long is his determination and will to do as best as he can.  He showed that ability again and continued his recent upturn in improvement.  Who’s to say that he could still spring an upset yet?

Scores: Jason 6.5, Robin 7.0, Emma 6.0                                   TOTAL: 19.5/30.0 (5th)

Laura Hamilton & Colin Ratushniak

Skated to: Rolling In the Deep

Props: Cane and Chair

Laura has fought back from a distant second to a serious front runner.  Of course, using the props in mind (A chair and cane) meant she wouldn’t be able to better or match her score last week but still it was another impressive display.

Scores: Jason 8.5, Robin 8.5, Emma 8.5                                   TOTAL: 25.5/30.0 (2nd)

Jeff Brazier & Isabelle Gauthier

Skated to: We Can Work It Out

Props: Chair and Table

ERRORS: Basic mistakes played a part in Jeff's departure

Jeff has a very good case to reach the final.  He has certainly improved the most over the course of the competition.  His routine though was little disappointing as the judges criticised him for putting more dramatics in over the quantity.  Sadly, the basic mistakes over-ruled the spectacular lifts and moves.

Scores: Jason 6.5, Robin 7.5, Emma 7.5                                   TOTAL: 21.5/30.0 (4th)

Chloe Madeley & Michael Zenzini

Skated to: Only Girl in the World

Props: Hula Hoop and Skipping Rope

With both Sam and Laura struggling with their props, this was a great opportunity for Chloe to get right into the leading group.  She didn’t disappoint.  Her performance was flawless throughout and she put great emphasis in her props given she was struggling so much with them in training.  Has Chloe just stated her intention to win?  Only time will tell.

Scores: Jason 9.0, Robin 9.0, Emma 9.0                                   TOTAL: 27.0/30.0 (1st)

The Result

More surprises were sprung in the results as Johnson defied the odds again to make the semi-final and force a stunned Sam into the skate-off alongside Jeff, who was now in this position for the third time.

     Both performances were largely improved second time but of course Sam was and has been the most superior skater so sadly Jeff never really stood a chance as the judges all went for Sam.

     Next week, it is of course the semi-final and Chloe, Johnson, Laura and Sam will face their toughest challenge to date as they will be skating alone.  For one week, they will be relieved of their normal pro partners and devise and perform a routine on their own. It’s an uphill task, but one that is worthy of reaching the grand final.

Dancing on Ice 2011 - The ultimate skills test

BY JASON WRIGHT (Entertainment Expert)

FOR the last few weeks, the remaining celebrities had been practicing their jumps and steps skills but now, they had to learn the spin element and then incorporate all three into the Ultimate Skills Test.

Chloe Madeley & Michael Zenzini

Skated to: Little Bird

It had been a stressful week for Chloe, with the big test looming.  However, this routine was her weakest of the competition so far.  A very decent effort with the skills, but there was a lack of additional presentation.

SCORES: Jason 5.5, Robin 5.5, Emma 7.5                                TOTAL: 18.5 (4th)

Johnson Beharry & Jodeyne Higgins

Skated to: She Will Be Loved

A tough challenge indeed for Johnson, there was not only the matter of impressing in the test but in continuing to win Jason over.  Everything came together in this performance but strangely, the marks went down as the judges believed like Chloe, he focused more on skill instead of additional content.

SCORES: Jason 4.5, Robin 5.0, Emma 5.0                                TOTAL: 14.5 (7th)

Laura Hamilton & Colin Ratushniak

Skated to: Stop

Laura came into the test with streams of confidence.  She eased through the skills with flying colours, executed other elements with such great ease and by merit, she won top place to herself on the leaderboard.

SCORES: Jason 8.5, Robin 8.5, Emma 8.5                                TOTAL: 25.5 (1st)

Jeff Brazier & Isabelle Gauthier

Skated to: Forget You

A pattern had seemed to emerge at this point in the show as several celebrities were sacrificing the presentation of their routines in favour of concentrating on the skills.  Jeff was another of those who went down this route.  This was a noticeably weaker performance in comparison to recent weeks.

SCORES: Jason 5.5, Robin 5.5, Emma 5.0                                TOTAL: 16.0 (6th)

Denise Welch & Matt Evers

Skated to: True Colours

Denise has really given everything in the competition and on skills week, she well and truly surprised everyone.  Hard training all week paid off and she easily earned her best marks of competition.  It’s more proof that she is winning the public over with her determination.

SCORES: Jason 5.5, Robin 5.5, Emma 5.5                                TOTAL: 16.5 (5th)

Sam Attwater & Brianne Delcourt

Skated to: She Said

Accusations of a fake romance with partner Brianne and being given the dreaded headbanger move has made this a difficult week for Sam.  A slight mistake in the headbanger routine cost him dear and Jason’s mark shoved him off top spot.

SCORES: Jason 7.5, Robin 8.5, Emma 8.5                                TOTAL: 25.5 (2nd)

Kerry Katona & Dan Whiston

Skated to: Hush Hush

Dear oh dear, this is getting embarrassing!  All of Kerry’s weaknesses were exposed in this routine; the fact being she can’t skate.  Jason Gardiner was right; her skating level is practically extinct nothing exists at all.  Kerry Katona is perhaps the worst contestant in DOI history; even Aggie Mackenzie could beat her fair and square!

SCORES: Jason 2.5, Robin 3.0, Emma 3.5                                TOTAL: 9.0 (8th)

Vanilla Ice & Katie Stainsby

Skated to: Ice, Ice Baby

What is most associated with Vanilla Ice?  Of course it is his hit track Ice, Ice Baby.  Obviously it was a huge challenge to skate to his signature song but he absolutely made it work to easily give his best performance so far.  Don’t write him off yet to make a late challenge.

SCORES: Jason 7.5, Robin 7.5, Emma 7.5                              TOTAL: 22.5 (3rd)

The Result

In terms of the Ice Panel scores and public votes combined the most likely situation that was going to happen did as Kerry and Jeff ended up in the skate-off, both for the second time.

Jeff was too timid first time around and his second try was much more spot on and when Kerry slipped out of a lift in her routine, it was game over.  All three judges finally gave Kerry the long overdue boot, and a one-way ticket to Majorca.

So with the inept skater gone, the question now is who is next for the chop, it is now anyone’s game for elimination and next week won’t be made any easier of course.  Next week is yet another theme night, as Dancing on Ice goes global with each routine having a distinct flavour towards a certain country. 

Dancing on Ice 2011 - Half-term report

BY Jason Wright (Entertainment Expert)

WITH six weeks of the competition now gone, this week’s report is going to be slightly different as I will assess how each of the final eight skaters in the competition have progressed so far and at the close of this blog is a brief summary of Sunday’s ‘Night At The Theatre’ show.

Sam Attwater & Brianne Delcourt

He was little known at the start of the contest but Sam is now widely regarded by everyone with his near-perfect ability.  Few stars that compete in this show have the whole package, but Sam well and truly does.  The moves, the stunts, the chemistry with his pro partner Brianne; it’s going to be difficult to say he won’t win the competition.

GRADE: A+ Sam was simply born to skate; maybe he should do this instead of acting.

Laura Hamilton & Colin Ratushniak

Laura is also another celebrity who is regarded to not being well recognised and now has caught everyone’s attention.  The one thing that puts Laura in a different perspective than anyone else is that she is not terrified to try new and risky things and if anything goes wrong, she will work even harder to overcome it.  She is surely another star who should go all the way.

GRADE: A- Never scared to take on something new and that’s what counts for her.

Chloe Madeley & Michael Zenzini

To be honest, I had my sincere doubts over Chloe as to whether she could cope with the ability of the competition but she has totally sprung everyone by surprise.  Like Laura, she is not afraid to tackle anything and will rarely buckle under the pressure.  She will need to perhaps put in more risky moves to really challenge Laura in the leaderboard battle, but is a joy to watch on the ice.

GRADE: A- A thrill to watch, can cope easily with any troubles.

Vanilla Ice & Katie Stainsby

Vanilla Ice is also somebody who has stood up to lot of critics and proven to people that he is worth a shot on a show like this.  Something that does frustrate me is that he is so far too inconsistent.  One week, he is good and the next, he doesn’t deliver.  Regardless, he has certainly cemented his place at the front of the field.

GRADE: C+ If he can get rid of his indifferent form, the marks will shoot up.

Jeff Brazier & Isabelle Gauthier

Jeff has so far underachieved by many people’s expectations.  He started off struggling with the pressures of the competition and a save through the ‘Ice Pick’ has seen him take notice and improve well.  The only question now is can he keep up with recent revival of form?

GRADE: C+ Poor start but has certainly picked it up in recent weeks.

Johnson Beharry & Jodeyne Higgins

Nobody knew who Johnson was before he began as he hadn’t been in any form of celebrity work. So, considering that he couldn’t skate at all when training began, he has put in the effort and to be fair, he deserves to still be around.

GRADE: B+ He is the surprise package so far and he is still capable of more.

Kerry Katona & Dan Whiston

Kerry knew from the start that it wasn’t going to be easy, having just come from the brink of a shattered reputation.  However, she must have never thought it would be this hard.  Most skaters by now should have faith to try and skate on their own but this is week six now and she still can’t do such a thing.  This proves how pathetic, lucky and lame she has gotten.

GRADE: F Kerry must try harder . . . really harder!

Denise Welch & Matt Evers

Denise also doesn’t care about winning; she is just out there to enjoy the experience.  Giving credit, although her skating abilities are certainly not on par with others, she never complains, she just does the best she can.

GRADE: D- Determination means she deserves to be here but for how much longer?

Night at the Theatre

The sixth week was another of DOI’s theme nights, with a showcase of popular songs from popular West End musicals.

For once, front runner Sam struggled with the ability and choreography in his routine but of course his natural talent meant he would finish top again.  However, this time it was a shared lead with Laura who finally pulled out a performance worthy of a challenge.  It may still be a long shot, but is Laura keeps improving, who’s to say she can displace Sam at the top of the leaderboard?

Chloe and Vanilla Ice once again provided solid performances for strong scores whilst Jeff continued his improving form by matching Chloe’s score to finish joint 3rd.  Johnson and Denise also registered their highest scores so far as they continued to search for better quality in their routines.

Comedy Dave and Kerry were the two celebrities who less than impressed both the judges and the public and both had to skate again in the skate-off.  However, the judges committed suicide once again as Jason Gardiner and Emma Bunton stupidly decided to give useless Kerry another chance, overruling Robin Cousins’ decision to save Dave and professional partner, Frankie Poultney.

It’s another measure to show that some people believe that DOI is losing its magic it had before.

Regardless, the competition steps up another gear next Sunday with the ‘Ultimate Skills Test’ awaiting each of the eight remaining couples.  

Dancing on Ice 2011 - The ice pick

BY Jason Wright (Entertainment Expert)

This week, Dancing on Ice was turned onto its head yet again as the bombshell dropped by Robin Cousins would see the celebrities vote to save.  Would they save a friend or eliminated a rival?

First though was the all-important matter of impressing the public with their routines.

Chloe Madeley & Michael Zenzini

Performed to: I Love Rock ‘N’ Roll

On the up from last week, Chloe continued her good run of form.  A change of character this week with a rock song and yet another risky move, in the form of the ‘Human Necklace’, were made effortless.  As the competition moves forward, everyone now certainly expects her to get even better.

Scores: Jason 6.5, Robin 6.5, Emma 6.5                                   TOTAL: 19.5 (3rd)

Johnson Beharry & Jodeyne Higgins

Performed to: One Love

An unusual occurrence this week as one of the stars actually took advice from Jason Gardiner.  Johnson put in extra training into his routine and it paid off with dividends.  The only criticism is that he needs to start picking up the pace in his performance but otherwise he is actually not proving as bad as first thought.

Scores: Jason 4.0, Robin 4.5, Emma 4.5                                   TOTAL: 13.0 (6th)

Jeff Brazier & Isabelle Gauthier

Performed to: Getting Together

This was without question the week from hell for Jeff.  Finding the competition harder than what he first thought, he also put in extra hours to prove he can go a distance in the show.  For a while it looked like it was working, until he mistimed a move, lost balance and both he and Isabelle crashed down to the ice.

Scores: Jason 4.0, Robin 4.0, Emma 4.5                                   TOTAL: 12.5 (7th)

Kerry Katona & Dan Whiston

UNSPECTACULAR: Kerry needs to improve

Performed to: Disturbia

Kerry had made a solid if unspectacular start but now she had to face her biggest fear, having to start not relying on Dan all the time.  The scores seemed a tad unfair but Kerry must try harder next time otherwise she could soon slide into the danger zone.

Scores: Jason 3.0, Robin 3.5, Emma 3.5                                   TOTAL: 10.0 (Joint 10th)

Vanilla Ice & Katie Stainsby

Performed to: Always

It was a challenging week for Vanilla Ice in more ways than one.  First, he had to skate to a slower song and then when in training, he suffered a nasty fall, leaving him with a stitched-up eyebrow.  It obviously affected his confidence but still he made no silly errors on the night and that’s what counts in the end.

Scores: Jason 5.5, Robin 5.0, Emma 5.5                                   TOTAL: 16.0 (5th)

Dominic Cork & Alexandra Schumann

Performed to: I Can See For Miles

After the skate-off scare, Dominic obviously worked harder to ensure he would stay out of it this time.  He did the best he could again but perhaps could have done a lot better, considering the environment of his competition and that many of them made silly errors.

Scores: Jason 3.0, Robin 4.5, Emma 3.5                                   TOTAL: 11.0 (Joint 8th)

Laura Hamilton & Colin Ratushniak

Performed to: Whenever, Wherever

TOUGH: Laura is made of stern stuff

Laura was yet another celebrity that seemed to be buckling under the pressure.  Although most of her performance came together when it mattered most, she had an uneasy stumble into her daring ‘Wrist Ripper’ move but somehow managed to stay upright.  A tough week without doubt but she will be pleased to have got over it in one peace.

Scores: Jason 7.5, Robin 6.0, Emma 6.5                                   TOTAL: 20.0 (2nd)

Jennifer Metcalfe & Sylvain Longchambon

Performed to: Anyone Who Had a Heart

This was Jennifer’s chance to prove she can really give true passion into a routine.  Stressful week in training didn’t help and although it was good on the night, it didn’t live up to the standard of last week.

Scores: Jason 5.5, Robin 7.0, Emma 6.0                                   TOTAL: 18.5 (4th)

Denise Welch & Matt Evers

Performed to: Slow

Denise didn’t really cope with last week’s routine but Sunday was meant to be better, with a slower routine.  Sadly, it didn’t work out that way and is beginning to be left behind by the rest in skating quality.

Scores: Jason 3.5, Robin 3.0, Emma 3.5                                   TOTAL: 10.0 (Joint 10th)

Sam Attwater & Brianne Delcourt

TOP: Sam was head and shoulders ahead again

Performed to: Crazy Little Thing Called Love

If anyone can cope with the pressure well at the moment, it certainly has to be Sam.  His already-known skills and growth in new moves once again played a huge part that left him head and shoulders above anyone else.  It is his competition to lose; surely he’ll strike 30.0 within the next few weeks.

Scores: Jason 8.5, Robin 8.5, Emma 8.0                                   TOTAL: 25.0 (1st)

Comedy Dave & Frankie Poultney

Performed to: Achy Breaky Heart

Dave can’t skate, fact!  Dave can’t dance well, fact!  But he is entertaining, fact!  And that’s why he is well respected on this show.  His country-themed performance was unique for the value of the few good abilities on display.  He seems to be a big hit with everyone, even Jason Gardiner at the moment!

Scores: Jason 3.0, Robin 4.0, Emma 4.0                                   TOTAL: 11.0 (Joint 8th)

The Ice Pick

In Dancing on Ice’s brand new twist, for one week only, the stars had to decide which act would have to hang up their skates for good.  They had to choose between Jeff and Dominic, perhaps the most likely to end up in this position considering the leaderboard.

FAREWELL: It was the end of the road for Dominic & Alexandra

The celebrities voted 6-3 in favour of keeping Jeff.  Chloe, Kerry, Vanilla Ice (who decided through the art of a coin toss), Laura, Jennifer and Sam backed him whereas Dominic only won the support of Johnson, Denise and Dave.  A disappointment for Dominic but perhaps Jeff had more room for improvement and in this current phase of the competition, he badly needs it.

Next week sees the show hold its first theme night of the series as the remaining ten couples perform Vegas-style routines.  When Vegas last took place on Dancing on Ice, Stefan Booth sent favourite John Barrowman crashing out of the show in 2006, following the best ever skate-off in the competition’s history.  How will this year’s crop cope with the added ability of a theme in their performance?