Dancing On Ice Odds: Bruno Tonioli And Emma Bunton Could Save Under-Threat Show

Dancing on Ice has been skating on thin ice for some time, according to numerous reports during and prior to the latest 17th series.  

Fans are aware that judges and ice-skating icons Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean are quitting the sport this year following a farewell tour in April and May, but the pair have remained tight-lipped about their Dancing on Ice futures for now.  

There has been plenty of speculation about the programme potentially coming to an end soon, and Dean dropped another hint recently that the pair's time on the show could be over after talking about their ice-skating journey feeling "complete".  

Speaking about their farewell tour, he told Saga Magazine: "After the tour finishes in Nottingham, we’ll be hanging up the skates as Torvill and Dean. Will it be a sad moment? Of course! 

"We climbed up the mountain, saw the beautiful views, won a few medals and we’re able to bow out on our terms. The journey feels complete." 

Torvill and Dean have been part of the 17-season ITV ice-skating show since the first series in 2006.

When Will Torvill And Dean Leave Dancing On Ice Odds?

They were mentors for the first nine seasons, but have been judges since series 10. 

Following Dean's latest comments, the price on the pair leaving Dancing on Ice this year has been cut to 1/3 on betting sites.  

If the ice legends were to go and the show was recommissioned, there would be plenty of potential candidates to sit alongside Ashley Banjo and Oti Mabuse on the panel.  

Bruno And Bunton To Spice Up Dancing On Ice?  

Former Strictly Come Dancing professional dancer Bruno Tonioli and Spice Girls singer Emma Bunton are 2/1 joint favourites on betting apps to join the Dancing on Ice panel and effectively save the show.  

With constant speculation about the programme's future, ITV may look to bring in some big names if Torvill and Dean left the series.  

Bruno was strictly a Strictly man back in the day, but since departing the BBC Latin and ballroom show he has turned to ITV and become a judge on Britain's Got Talent.  

Dancing On Ice Odds: Who Could Replace Torvill And Dean?

He left Strictly due to his Dancing With the Stars commitments, but if Bruno is looking to continue his ITV bromance then it wouldn't be a huge surprise to see him join the Dancing on Ice panel next. 

What's more, Emma is no stranger to Dancing on Ice, after she was a judge on the fifth and sixth series of the programme.  

When she quit in 2011, the star - affectionately known as Baby Spice - said she had "loved" working on the programme, and added: "It was so much fun and I love the team." 

Several other former panellists could also be in contention for returns.  

Ruthie Henshall (5/1) judged the show in the third and fourth series, while Louie Spence (10/1) and former figure skater Katarina Witt (9/1) stepped in for season seven.  

However, one star who might be more likely to return to the panel is Ashley Roberts.  

The Pussycat Doll was a Dancing on Ice judge in series eight and nine, and she is just 9/4 for a comeback next year.  

What's more, Bruno's fellow Dancing With the Stars judges Carrie Ann Inaba (9/2) and Derek Hough (8/1) could also make the move across the pond to sit on the panel alongside him.  

No-Nonsense Jordan  

If Dancing on Ice bosses are to go down the former Strictly star route for a Torvill and Dean replacement then they could land at James Jordan.  

The ex-Strictly pro dancer is certainly opinionated, which could inject some comedy and chaos to the episodes, as well as see him giving lots of no-nonsense constructive feedback.  

And he knows all about the competition after winning Dancing on Ice in 2019.  

James is 5/2 to join the show as a judge, while former winner Beth Tweddle would also be a welcome addition on the panel.  

The Olympian was the last woman to win Dancing on Ice way back in 2013.  

Quite how a woman hasn't won the series since then is down to the voting viewers, but it would be a fantastic move if ITV bosses were to bring her in as a judge 12 years after her season eight triumph. 

Beth is 3/1 to get the nod, just in front of Perri Kiely, a former Dancing on Ice runner-up and Ashley's Diversity co-star.  

If Banjo were to have some sway in the decision then he could put in a good word for 7/2 chance Perri, or even his brother and fellow dancer Jordan Banjo (4/1), who previously acted as the show's backstage digital host.  

Jason Sticking To Gardening  

However, one former Dancing on Ice employee who doesn't look likely to return to the panel is 16/1 outsider Jason Gardiner.  

Known as Mr Nasty by viewers during his 13-year stint as a judge, he quit the show in 2019 after a feud with contestant Gemma Collins.  

And 10 points are awarded for anyone who can guess what he's up to now?  

That's right, he is an eco-friendly farmer based in Portugal.   

Going by the name The Truth Gardiner, on Instagram, his bio reads: "A Rewilding & Regenerative Gardener on a quest to help spread the seeds of truth on the winds of uncertain times. 

"Content warning: May be triggering" 

Some of Jason's content was certainly triggering for Gemma in series 11, and the GC is a massive 33/1 outsider to land a job as a Dancing on Ice panellist herself.  

It would certainly be a ratings winner for ITV, and stranger things have happened on TV.  

Skating On Thin Ice  

Ahead of the show's finale in March, a report in the Daily Mirror newspaper suggested the series was "likely to be dropped" following the March 9 finale.  

However, an ITV spokeswoman said at the time: "The Dancing on Ice team is fully concentrating on the much-anticipated series finale this coming Sunday and therefore no decision has been made." 

At the time of writing, a decision on the show's future is yet to be confirmed, but Dancing on Ice is just 3/10 to end this year.  

When Will Dancing On Ice End Odds

However, one way the Holly Willoughby and Stephen Mulhern-fronted programme could keep going until at least 2026 is if Torvill and Dean pledge their future to the project.  

Dean recently told how he has moved back to the UK from America, so could that increase his chances of doing Dancing on Ice again next year? 

It's 5/2 for the show to be axed in 2026 after another series has aired in the new year.   

* Reminder: Some of these are hypothetical odds provided by industry experts.