FEATURE: What Should Dancing On Ice Do Next?

 FEATURE: What Should Dancing On Ice Do Next?

In a move which is sadly becoming all too common for Dancing On Ice these days, yet another celebrity has dropped out of the current series. Australian singer Jason Donovan and his partner Alexandra Lukasz have been forced to pull out of the competition, after Jason Donovan suffered a serious back injury during training. 

The question on everybody's lips right now is 'What should Dancing On Ice do next?'.  Here are a few suggestions of what their next move could be.

Bring Back Joe Warren-Plant and Vanessa Bauer

I covered this possibility in more detail with my previous Dancing On Ice article (which you can check out here), but that was before Jason Donovan was forced to leave the competition. In a world where Dancing On Ice has been reduced to only five celebrities in the sixth week of the competition, the situation seems even more dire than it did before. To put that into perspective, this means that at Dancing On Ice's current pace, if the show were to continue with weekly eliminations, there would only be one celebrity left in the competition. And by that point, it's not really a competition.

But Joe Warren-Plant shouldn't be brought back merely to make up the numbers. He should also be brought back for another, very important reason. The guy has talent. He has proven himself to be an incredible skater, who has the right kind of daredevil mentality in order to perform some of the riskier aspects of ice dancing, and as much as we would all love to see Philip Schofield and Holly Willoughby don a pair of skates, nothing will beat witnessing the power of sheer talent grace the ice rink. 

Cut The Series Short

Possibly the least controversial item on this list, Dancing On Ice's easiest option would be to just cut the series short. Even if they reduced the run by only one episode, providing there were no more injuries it would solve the issue of the final being left with only one competitor. And if  the fact that the series was contracted to fulfil a minimum of ten episodes is a problem, ITV could claim that last Sunday's clip compilation programme, The Greatest Show On Ice, counted as the sixth week of the show.

Technically they wouldn't be wrong. The Greatest Show On Ice still aired under the Dancing On Ice banner, and so strictly speaking it is an entry in the hit celebrity ice skating series. By cutting a single episode, ITV would be left with only one empty Sunday slot that was previously supposed to be occupied by Dancing On Ice left to fill, and we all know that ITV never run out of episodes of Vera to rerun.

Skip This Week's Skate-Off

Another option would be to skip this week's Skate-Off. With so few celebrities left standing in the competition, pitting the two celebrities with the lowest votes against each other this week and removing another skating couple from the competition feels a little pointless. Dancing On Ice would instead be wise to skip an elimination, and allow the remaining celebrities to focus on putting on a great show. 

Postpone The Show

Possibly the least likely option on this list, but one which I have seen bandied around a lot, is the idea that ITV could postpone the show into later this year, or potentially next. This one would rely on a lot of convenience and assumption, as not only would ITV need to find a suitable slot later in the year in order for it to air (although this would admittedly be solved if they just delayed by a full calendar year), but it would also rely on each of the celebrities' schedules being free at the same time. The likelihood is that at least two or three of the celebrities will have other commitments later in the year that would clash with a potential new date - and that applies also if they did just air it in the place of a new batch of celebrities taking to the rink next year. Although not totally outside the realms of possibility, it would be a logistical nightmare for ITV, and would require gargantuan efforts to organise.

Still, it would surely be worth it just to see Rufus Hound skate once again.

Cancel The Show Completely

It feels a shame to say it, but maybe ITV would be better off just cutting their losses and calling it a day?

So many celebrities have been forced to leave for either COVID or injury-related reasons, that an argument could be made that it's simply not worth putting these couples through these rigorous skating sessions anymore. Whilst I would be far from a strong advocate towards the idea that the show should be pulled completely, I have to admit there is a point to be made as to whether it is worth carrying on with a show that could potentially see further injuries before it comes to a close.

ITV could replace Dancing On Ice with a series of further compilation programmes showcasing the best routines in Dancing On Ice history. Maybe there could be a compilation show themed around movie week? Or Fairytales On Ice? Or even something as simple as week one performances? It wouldn't be an ideal situation for the broadcaster, but it would eliminate further risk to the physical health of the celebrities remaining in the competition.

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What do you think ITV's next move should be? Let me know in the comments.