Fans of the much-loved ITV show Dancing On Ice think they’ve spotted the “final nail in the coffin” that could mark the end of the reality contest.
On Sunday (March 9) evening, Holly Willoughby confessed she was feeling emotional minutes into Dancing On Ice‘s final. It comes after there’s been much speculation over whether the long-running ITV show will return next year.
The current series concluded on Sunday after having launched back in January. Holly, 44, and Stephen Mulhern, 47, hosted the final and Coronation Street‘s Sam Aston was crowned winner.
But, even though he appears to have delighted fans with his skating skills, not everyone was impressed by the result. In fact, some thought it marked the “final nail in the coffin” for Dancing On Ice.
Taking to X, one person wrote: “I don’t avidly watch #DancingOnIce, but even I know that Michaela and Mark should have won, for many reasons. I fear this win might be the nail in the coffin for the show.”
Another said: “If Michaela doesn’t win #dancingonice then the show deserves to be cancelled. She’s the clear winner this year.”
A third replied: “She was by far the outstanding winner!” Meanwhile, a fourth also commented: “Totally agree – by far the best. And I for one won’t be watching next year.”
Sam, 31, best known as Chesney Brown on ITV‘s Coronation Street was partnered with Molly on the ITV series and beat bookmakers favourite, Michaela Strachan. He managed to overtake the Spring Watch presenter who came in second place.
Former footballer Anton Ferdinand also came third. None the less, all three finalists managed to get off to a perfect start, as the judges awarded them 40 out of 40 for their show dances. Then, after they performed the Bolero, made famous by Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean, it was Sam who managed to get the backing of the public to be crowned winner.
Over the past two years, the ITV show has lost more than one million viewers, with the 2023 launch episode being watched by 4.1 million people. But, this series has not managed to pass the 3 million mark, according to official overnight ratings from BARB.
It’s reported channel chiefs believe the only way to justify the huge costs involved in making Dancing on Ice in the future is by attracting a blockbuster audience, which doesn’t appear to be happening.
One source said: “There are very real fears this is the end of the road for Dancing on Ice. It’s had a good run for nearly 20 years and has a very loyal set of viewers who really love it but the sad truth is there’s just not enough of them. We need bums on seats but the ratings have dropped to a point where it’s difficult to justify the cost.”
Some fans thought Sam was a worthy winner though, as one wrote: “How can you say that? It is a public vote. The public did vote, and the public voted for Sam. Get over it.”
Another replied: “FYI I watched ALL eps. M&M was my winner all along, but Sam was the better performer on the night. I applauded him and watched again.”
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