After the news that John Barrowman has been dropped from the Dancing On Ice judging panel, it looks like ITV already have a replacement lined up. According to reports, his spot on the panel will be taken by legendary choreographer and former Strictly Come Dancing judge Dame Arlene Phillips.
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Arlene Phillips for Dancing On Ice
Of course, Dame Arlene has plenty of judging experience from her Strictly days. She was a judge on the BBC’s ballroom show in its first four years The BBC was accused of ageism when she was dropped from the panel in favour of former contestant Alesha Dixon back in 2008.
An insider source told The Sun:
The fact that Arlene is a mature woman with decades of experience in the dance world is seen as a huge asset for Dancing on Ice. In contrast to what people see as her harsh treatment by Strictly, ITV bosses see her seniority as a brilliant way to create a diverse panel of experts on the show.
If Arlene does join Dancing On Ice as a judge—and current judges Ashley Banjo, Christopher Dean and Jayne Torvill all remain with the show as expected—it will mean the panel will be made up of an equal number of men and women for the first time since 2014.
From the castle to the ice
There have also been rumours that Arlene is set to enter Gwrych Castle as I’m A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!’s oldest ever contestant this year. I’m A Celeb will be filming in November-December so it wouldn’t be impossible for the legendary choreographer to appear on both shows - although it would certainly make for a busy few months!
