Dancing On Ice ‘could be AXED just DAYS after 2025 final’ as Holly Willoughby turns down lucrative ITV deal and staff are warned ‘tired’ show ‘is over’ amid plummeting ratings
Dancing On Ice could reportedly be axed just days after Corrie actor Sam Aston was crowed the 2025 champion on Sunday.
The ITV series, which is hosted by Holly Willoughby and Stephen Mulhern, has haemorrhaged over a million viewers in the last two years with staff told the ‘tired’ show, which first launched in 2006, is ‘over’.
It comes after MailOnline revealed Holly had turned down a lucrative deal with ITV to front a new series of the classic game show You Bet! after finding a global audience on Celebrity Bear Hunt.
According to The Sun the series could be rested, before being revamped and relaunched at a later date, similar to when the show was axed in 2014 and brought back four years later.
A source told the publication: ‘Viewing figures are remarkably less than they were but they still had almost three million watch the launch show. There’s no denying, though, that the format has become tired and they’re not getting the big names they once did’.
‘Changes are needed and it’s likely it’ll be rested and given a new lease of life’ but said staff were ‘not holding out much hope’.
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Dancing On Ice could reportedly be axed just days after Corrie actor Sam Aston was crowed the 2025 champion on Sunday (pictured with partner Molly Beth Lanaghan)
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The series, which is hosted by Holly Willoughby and Stephen Mulhern, has lost over a million viewers in the last two years with staff told the ‘tired’ show which launched in 2006 is ‘over’.
Before adding: ‘The show’s future hinges on the meetings that follow last night’s finale. Dancing On Ice is an expensive production and there are questions over whether ITV is getting bang for its buck‘.
A ITV Spokesperson said: ‘The Dancing on Ice team has been fully concentrating on the much anticipated series finale last night and therefore no decision has been made.’
Last week source told The Mirror: ‘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.
The future of Dancing On Ice was thrown into doubt ahead of this series after the head judges Torvill and Dean revealed they are ready to hang up their skates and they performed one last time on Sunday.
An ITV spokeswoman told the publication: ‘The Dancing on Ice team is fully concentrating on the much anticipated series finale this coming Sunday and therefore no decision has been made.’
Meanwhile ITV insiders said that Holly is ‘busy with other commitments’, which meant she was unable to return to the game show she hosted a two part special last year alongside Stephen.
While it is not yet known what her other role is, she recently found global fame on Netflix‘s Celebrity Bear Hunt – her first big role away from ITV.
Torvill and Dean’s final Dancing On Ice performance before retiring
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According to reports the series could be rested, before being revamped and relaunched at a later date, similar to when the show was axed in 2014 and brought back four years later
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‘Changes are needed and it’s likely it’ll be rested and given a new lease of life’ but said staff were ‘not holding out much hope’
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It comes after MailOnline revealed Holly had turned down a deal with ITV to front a new series of the game show You Bet! (pictured) after finding a global audience on Celebrity Bear Hunt
Holly impressed bosses at the streaming giant so much that insiders there say they are ‘very keen’ to work with her more on shows which would be screened across the world.
A source told the Mail: ‘You Bet was so popular with the viewers wished it came back for two shows that ITV bosses decided to give it a full run.
‘Holly and Stephen are a great double act and they were both brilliant so they were asked back.
‘But Holly politely declined, she has other commitments and couldn’t make it work.
‘She is in demand and now she isn’t shackled to This Morning four days a week, she is able to look at more options, some are global.
‘Celebrity Bear Hunt was a huge thing for her, her first role with Netflix and she just loved it and they loved her so there could very well be much more where that came from.
‘The world is now Holly’s oyster, there are so many opportunities for her.’
Sunday’s last ever final saw Sam and pro partner Molly Lanaghan were crowned Dancing On Ice‘s 2025 champions after narrowly beating bookies favourite Michaela Strachan.
Sam Aston and Molly Lanaghan crowned Dancing On Ice’s champions
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Sunday’s last ever final saw Sam and pro partner Molly Lanaghan were crowned Dancing On Ice ‘s 2025 champions after narrowly beating bookies favourite Michaela Strachan
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Sam was left stunned by the result after the Springwatch host, 58, had been bookies favourite to become the show’s oldest ever winner and first female champion in a whopping 12-years
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Fans were equally shocked and took to X claiming Michaela had been ‘robbed’
Anton Ferdinand and pro Annette Dytrt finished in third place before finalists Sam and Michaela battled it out while performing judge Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean‘s iconic Bolero.
The soap star, 31, was left stunned by the result after the Springwatch host, 58, had been bookies favourite to become the show’s oldest ever winner and first female champion in a whopping 12-years.
Speaking to hosts Holly and Stephen just after his win was announced, Sam said: ‘I’ve literally got no words!’.
Just moments before, the soap star reflected that it had been ‘such a journey’ for himself and his professional partner.
Gushing: ‘It’s just been such a journey, and a mad one. And was always Molly’s dream to be on this show since watching it as a young girl’.
