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 - Battle of the teams

 
By Jason Wright (Entertainment Expert)

JUST six stars remained in Dancing on Ice and the pressured was stepped up even further with the advent of a team challenge.  The skaters would be split into two groups of three and the winning team would gain an advantage in the results.

Denise Welch & Matt Evers

Skated to: Alone

HEATED: Jason had a showdown with Tim Healy

Denise has mainly her supporters to thank for getting this far but is making solid attempts to improve.  It was certainly a better performance than last week but again was lacking the fluidity that was required.  Then things got really heated when her husband, Benidorm actor Tim Healy invaded the stage and had it out with Jason Gardiner.  Imagine if he really had decked him!

Scores: Jason 5.0, Robin 5.0, Emma 5.0                                   

TOTAL: 15.0 (6th)

Jeff Brazier & Isabelle Gauthier

Skated to: Hit the Road Jack

Over these last few weeks we have seen Jeff transform from a no-hoper into a serious contender and its all down to the work he has put in to improve.  This performance again played to his strengths, don’t count him out yet on reaching the final.

Scores: Jason 7.0, Robin 7.5, Emma 8.0                                   TOTAL: 22.5 (4th)

Sam Attwater & Brianne Delcourt

Skated to: Crazy Love

Last week Sam returned to his best with the show’s highest score and now the hunt was on for the 10 marks.  Again, the performance and presentation was very good and divine but some of the flair shown last week was missing.  It didn’t seem to come together when it really mattered.

Scores: Jason 8.5, Robin 8.5, Emma 8.5                                   TOTAL: 25.5 (3rd)

Chloe Madeley & Michael Zenzini

Skated to: Empire State of Mind

Recent outings have shown that Chloe is still willing to fight and get on the same level as Sam and Laura.  Not only this routine stated this intent, she took beyond another barrier to score two crucial 9 marks and outscore Sam.  It was a performance fully deserving of the high marks.

Scores: Jason 8.5, Robin 9.0, Emma 9.0                                   TOTAL: 26.5 (2nd)

Johnson Beharry & Jodeyne Higgins

Skated to: You Are So Beautiful

You just have to commend Johnson for the bravery and effort he is putting into his performances, even if isn’t up the standard that it should be at this point in the competition.  To be honest, this was actually the first time that everything went right in a routine for him and getting the best reward in a huge improvement of the scores.

Scores: Jason 5.5, Robin 6.0, Emma 6.0                                   TOTAL: 17.5 (5th)

Laura Hamilton & Colin Ratushniak

Scores: I’m So Excited

BEST: Laura produced the top marks

What a different a week makes.  Last week, Laura was staring down shock elimination and this week, she finds herself top again with a new series best.  Something that has helped along the way is that she has built a strong partnership with partner Colin.  If she keeps this up, she can really win it.

Scores: Jason 9.5, Robin 9.5, Emma 9.5           TOTAL: 28.5 (1st)

Team Challenge

The extra reward this week was that three celebrities had the chance to double their scores and perhaps earn certainty of safety from the skate-off.  As the top two skaters, Sam and Laura were appointed to select their teammates for the challenge.  Sam went with Chloe and Johnson whilst Laura was assisted by Jeff and Denise.

     Sam’s team focused of course on the technique and ability to perform whilst Laura’s team opted for a more presentational style in their performance.  The judges were to decide who won the challenge, and based on both performances, it seemed too close to call though many would believe Sam’s side would just edge it.  However both Jason Gardiner and Emma Bunton yet again showed their stupidity and overruled head judge Robin Cousins’ vote to see Laura’s team win the challenge.

The Result

GRACIOUS: Denise and Matt made a dignified exit

The team challenge kept Laura at the top of board whilst Denise moved from last to third, sending Johnson to last place and Sam into the bottom two. However, because of his natural talent, it wasn’t a surprise that Sam would receive the necessary votes to survive.  Despite earning double points, Denise was sent into the skate-off alongside Johnson, for both their first time in this situation.

     It was again a simple decision for the judges.  Johnson was able to provide more and so earned a clean sweep of votes.  It was tough luck for Denise, she has done very well, but in this stage of the competition, the best skaters must stay.

     Next week is something that has to be always included in DOI, props week.  So, expect familiar items like a chair and an umbrella to be involved but then again, we may see the likes of a bed or even a piano involved.

Dancing on Ice 2011 - The world tour

By Jason Wright (Entertainment Expert)

DANCING on Ice covered the globe this week as the seven remaining couples all had routines inspired by a certain nation.  There was drama though before the show got underway as regular host Holly Willoughby was struck down with a migraine and was forced to miss the show.  So at the eleventh hour, former contestant and fellow This Morning regular Coleen Nolan stood in alongside Phillip Schofield.

Laura Hamilton & Colin Ratushniak

Skated to: Upside Down

Country Inspired By: USA

Flying high from going to top of the leaderboard last week, all eyes were on Laura to continue on the top form.  Though this performance seemed weaker than the last few weeks, it was still very impressive and strong enough to earn strong scores and comments from the judges.

SCORES: Jason 8.0 Robin 8.0 Emma 8.5                                   TOTAL: 24.5 (2nd)

Jeff Brazier & Isabelle Gauthier

Skated to: When I Need You

Country Inspired By: Austria

After a disappointment of the skate-off outing last week, Jeff had to bounce back to the recent form he had shown.  He did just that, combining the quality and quantity of the performance together to earn his best score.  He could still be in it for a few weeks yet.

SCORES: Jason 7.0 Robin 7.5 Emma 8.0                                   TOTAL: 22.5 (4th)

Denise Welch & Matt Evers

Skated to: Let’s Get Loud

Country Inspired By: Brazil

The question was for Denise, could she keep up the form she discovered last week?  Sadly, the answer was no.  Although it seemed passionate and well laid out, the overall presentation just lacked in all directions. 

SCORES: Jason 4.5, Robin 5.0, Emma 5.0                                TOTAL: 14.5 (Joint 6th)

Vanilla Ice & Katie Stainsby

Skated to: Like I Love You

Country Inspired By: Spain

This was perhaps the best chance yet for Vanilla to show true passion and determination together into his performance.  When it mattered the most, he did just that and although there was the odd error or two, it was still relatively clean throughout.

SCORES: Jason 7.0, Robin 7.0, Emma 7.5                                TOTAL: 21.5 (5th)

Sam Attwater & Brianne Delcourt

Skated to: Riverdance

Country Inspired By: Ireland

This was the week that Sam well and truly had to return to form if he wanted to stay as the strong favourite in the competition.  A Riverdance-themed routine did just the trick and rightfully earned the highest marks of the series to date.  It looks like he is back on track.

SCORES: Jason 9.0, Robin 9.0, Emma 9.0                                TOTAL: 27.0 (1st)

Chloe Madeley & Michael Zenezini

Skated to: Kiss Kiss

Country Inspired By: India

Something that has been lacking in Chloe’s performances of recent was both pace and not being able to show a sexier side but in this Bollywood-style dance; both were easily be able to be incorporated.  With the likes of Denise and Johnson getting through on high votes however, it certainly isn’t right to say that she is safe at this stage.

SCORES: Jason 7.5, Robin 7.5, Emma 8.5                                TOTAL: 23.5 (3rd)

Johnson Beharry & Jodeyne Higgins

Skated to: She Drives Me Crazy

Country Inspired By: Argentina

No matter how much stick he can get, Johnson does at least try to make a decent effort at the task in hand.  On this occasion though, it was a total letdown as he didn’t warm to the style of routine at all and hardly looked like he was enjoying it.  A testing experience, just how much longer can he cope?

SCORES: Jason 4.5, Robin 5.0, Emma 5.0                                TOTAL: 14.5 (Joint 6th)

The Result

As always, one thing is certain on Dancing on Ice, never underestimate the power of the public.  It was shown tonight as strugglers Denise and Johnson once again were saved by the voters and consigned Vanilla Ice and Laura into the bottom two.  

     Both easily improved on their first attempts but considering that Laura was a strong contender, this decision was a no-brainer for the judges, Laura had to be saved and Vanilla Ice was frozen out. Shame, but as mentioned these things can well and truly happen on this show.

     The remaining six skaters will face another new twist in next week’s show which on this occasion is being kept firmly under wraps for Sunday.  This is the part of the contest now when the celebrities have to perform to their ability and the public must save the strongest.

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 - Viva Las Vegas

By Jason Wright (Entertainment Expert)

LAS VEGAS, is undoubtedly the glamour capital of the world.  Famous for its bright lights, gambling and boxing title fights, the city relocated to the Dancing on Ice rink for a special-themed night.  More pressure was also heaped on the remaining ten celebrities as this week also saw the start of the ‘Ultimate Skills’ phase which started with having to perfect an unassisted step sequence.

Jennifer Metcalfe & Sylvain Longchambon

Skated to: If I Could Turn Back Time

It had certainly been a rollercoaster start to the competition for Jennifer with several close calls and injuries.  Sunday saw again that she was not really at her best yet but still very competitive.  A few more weeks’ progress and that confidence will be fully in place.

Scores: Jason 6.0 Robin 7.0 Emma 6.0                                     TOTAL: 19.0/30.0 (5th)

Jeff Brazier & Isabelle Gauthier

Skated to: It’s Not Unusual

If there had to be one big disappointment in the show so far, it had to be Jeff.  Falling way below expectations, he needed to really now show what he was capable of.  Finally, that all came together in the performance and Jeff knows that he now needs to stay at this standard at all times to stay in the running.

Scores: Jason 5.5 Robin 7.5 Emma 7.0                                     TOTAL: 20.0/30.0 (4th)

Laura Hamilton & Colin Ratushniak

Skated to: All Coming Back To Me Now

So far Laura has shown that she can take any setbacks and pressure very well and then turn it into a spectacular performance.  There not much of that to be shown tonight but still regardless it was certainly her best performance to date.

Scores: Jason: 8.5 Robin 8.0 Emma 7.5                                    TOTAL: 24.0/30.0 (2nd)

Denise Welch & Matt Evers

Skated to: Wonderful

Denise isn’t a quality skater but what is good about her is that she never throws in the towel; she does give it a good go.  To back that statement, this week was certainly her best week and it will definitely prove that she slowly but surely is making progress.

Scores: Jason 4.5 Robin 4.5 Emma 4.5                                     TOTAL: 13.5/30.0 (8th)

Comedy Dave & Frankie Poultney

Skated to: Release Me

Dave should also be given credit for trying moves without making a fuss.  Certainly, this was not a perfect performance which saw partner Frankie lose grip and fall over on the ice.  From there on, the rest of the skating went downhill.

Scores: Jason 3.0 Robin 4.0 Emma 4.0                                     TOTAL: 11.0/30.0 (9th)

Vanilla Ice & Katie Stainsby

Skated to: Blue Suede Shoes

Vanilla Ice perhaps got the best pick out of the songs this week, as he was a massive Elvis Presley fan.  To say it was totally perfect can’t be used, but he did the song justice and made massive improvements in what had been shown in the last few weeks.  His miming of the song did annoy Jason Gardiner though!

Scores: Jason 5.5 Robin 5.0 Emma 5.5                                     TOTAL: 16.0/30.0 (6th)

Johnson Beharry & Jodeyne Higgins

Skated to: Piano Man

The surprise package so far has without question been Johnson.  He has taken constructive criticism and improved on it each week.  This week was a little disappointing as he didn’t really have enough to give in his performance.  However, this was overshadowed by an extraordinary clash between ice judge Jason Gardiner and head coach Karen Barber.  See video below;

Scores: Jason 4.0 Robin 4.0 Emma 4.0                                     TOTAL: 12.0/30.0 (7th)

Sam Attwater & Brianne Delcourt

Skated to: I Get a Kick Out Of You

Vegas week even had frontrunner Sam baffled as to how to put on good show.  After doing the sensible thing of seeking expert advice away from the ice, he once again delivered to everyone’s expectations.  There is no doubt the battle to win the contest will soon be over at this rate.

Scores: Jason 8.5 Robin 8.5 Emma 8.5                                     TOTAL: 25.5/30.0 (1st)

Kerry Katona & Dan Whiston

Skated to: Woman in Love

Everyone can see that Kerry is having a real problem with learning to skate on her own.  However, this routine exposed this, but the fact that she isn’t trying to do it.  As an example, Denise is another celebrity who is struggling but unlike Kerry, she tries her best to cope.  This is certainly not what Kerry expected when she signed up.  Shocking!

Scores: Jason 3.0 Robin 3.5 Emma 3.5                                     TOTAL: 10.0/30.0 (10th)

Chloe Madeley & Michael Zenzini

Skated to: In the Mood

Chloe is another of the celebrities that puts in the effort and it pays off with huge dividends.  Yet again, she duly delivered when it mattered and will also take on anything that seems very risky to pull off.  She may not win but she will be around for many more weeks to come.

Scores: Jason 7.0 Robin 7.5 Emma 7.5                                     TOTAL: 22.0/30.0 (3rd)

The Result

After last week’s ‘Ice Pick’, elimination reverted to normal this week with the judges making the decision.  This week’s results proved that the public can make a huge difference in the final leaderboard.  For the first time in the show’s history, the celebrities that finished in the bottom four places in the judges scores were all saved and consigned Jennifer and Vanilla Ice into the bottom two.

Both celebrities didn’t want to leave this early and they proved it in their skate-off performances, giving the panel an extremely tough decision to make.  However, going completely against the form book, Vanilla Ice won through with the backing of all three of them.

Jennifer was shattered and left in tears over her sudden demise as Phillip Schofield, Christopher Dean and even head judge Robin Cousins lamented the public for their decision, not just to force the Hollyoaks actress out but for putting Vanilla Ice in the skate-off, as he was considered as an outside contender as well.  This is another talent show that has sprung a shock result.

The contest goes on and next week, the nine remaining stars will continue the progress in mastering the unique skills along with another themed performance, as they will be giving performances to famous West End musicals.

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?