Dancing on Ice 2018

New huge site.  RAF Bovingdon. (Bovi Market.)

Dancing on Dry Ice?

The only reason to watch this show is Torvill & Dean. Even now, when I see them dance together it gives me tickles in my nethers.

Jayne and Chris are now judges and Jason is definitely back. I'm not sure who else. Phil and Holly presenting.

Edit: Ashley Banjo apparently! Sounds good!

Also, good news: my favourite pro, Dan, is back. Bad news: he's paired with Cheryl Baker.

Is that the same Ashley Banjo who's appearing (almost) daily at the London Palladium until 14 Januuary 2018, or the other one?

Welcome to the board kazdan .

You should have got a very detailed email with your tickets to the show. It clearly explains what will happen. The 'dry run' on the Friday (ignore the jolly japes above!) is basically a full dress rehearsal, complete with TV cameras, which will run exactly as the first show will run 2 days later. The email tells us what time to rock up, where to park, dress code, etc. etc.

Although there is nothing to indicate this at the moment, I know from other TV recordings that it could be that they actually record musical guests or group routines on that day, along with audience applause or other items that could be slotted into the live shows. (This is why we are asked to follow the dress code.) Also, if there is some sort of major disaster the show could be broadcast in place of the first live show, though I don't think this has ever happened - I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong! The chances are 99% we will not appear on the telly. The show we watch on Sunday 7th will be recorded live with a new audience but should be very similar (barring falling over of course!) to the one we see on the Friday.

Hope that helps. I know as much as you do. Check the email, it is very detailed. 

^Yes. Good catch. And you, sir, are a podiatrist....

Good that it has come back, they are obviously throwing some money at it given the new location and getting Holly back. I wondered why Phil and Holly weren't on This Morning today, this explains it.

No Robin Cousins on the Judging Panel I notice, I guess this is as T and D will be Head Judges this time so "demoting" Robin would have been awkward. I can see Jason and Christopher Dean clashing as Jason can be very spiky and Chris Dean can be a bit of a diva.

If only you’d paid this much attention to the Hamilton T&C’s 🙂

Well, yesterday we went to the dry run - the same show that will be re-done and shown live this Sunday - and I have already deleted a lengthy review because, after my usual verbal diarrhoetic meanderings, I still hadn't got anywhere near the bit where we actually saw any ice-skating!

To summarise what we had been told - 4.15 doors open for security. Recording begins at 5.30. 2 hour show. Leave studio 8PM.  So - what if I tell you that nothing had started by 8.30? I won't bang on about it, but the temperature in the holding area and the studio was lower than that outside (well, there wasn't ice on the ground outside!) and I can't imagine that they will use any of the shots of last night's audience as we are all wrapped in coats and scarves. It was a VERY long, freezing cold day/night.

To the show itself. Tomorrow 6 couples will skate. There will be a very short time to vote, then the lowest scorer will be announced and go into a bottom 2, to be joined by the person in the same position next week, after which there will be a dance-off next Sunday at the end of the main show and one person will go home. 

We sat near the judges' table. A warm-up bloke made half hearted attempts to get our circulation going, but the wonderful Andy Collins he most certainly wasn't, and limp 'jokes' about his hamster learning to drive and falling asleep at the wheel made our very own Monkey seem like Eric Morecambe! He didn't tell us his name (good move! I wouldn't have either if I'd been that crap!) and no amount of googling has shone any light on who he was. He seemed nice enough, but really should have tried harder. As an example, when Philip finally came on he lifted the whole atmosphere in a nano second, reminding me that whilst we all occasionally complain about the same people appearing in too many shows, there is actually a reason for that! The same thing has happened at other recordings when I have seen Graham Norton and Denise Van Outen play so naturally with the audience, to name but two. Philip hilariously started pulling out all the hand-warmers he had secreted about his person and making jokes about where Holly had put hers. She, in turn, was gracious, graceful and beautiful. She did a couple of links advertising the new series and then left (they had been there all day) her place being taken by the equally glamorous 'Rory,' much to Philip's mouth-quivering amusement! Philip was genial to everyone around him and really quite teeny! 

Ashley Banjo was, luckily for him, on a much warmer stage at the Palladium so was replaced on the judging panel by his brother, Jordan, who is also taking a sort of Claudia role, chatting to the contestants on a separate warm-up rink, just through the tunnel. Jayne, Chris and Jason were also there, but scored everyone the same points and only made a couple of comments for the purpose of sound checks as things were running so late. Jayne made me smile when she strode along beside the rink in full evening dress and sandals followed by a mincing Phil who was quietly squeaking "It's so slippery! Why's it so slippery?" 

First we saw a group dance with all 12 contestants and pros (mainly pros!) that is to be slotted into Sunday's show. The costumes are absolutely glorious - they were all in white for this, but they all looked so beautiful. Cheryl Baker is in her 60s and she looked lovely. Equally, Bake-Off's Candice looked really pretty having left the make-up to the professionals!

We were asked not to tell too much, so I won't. But, whilst we didn't witness either a Ray Quinn, or a Todd Carty, we were quite impressed at how steady they generally were and the amount they could do alone, though this may not come across on the telly on Sunday. Only 1 person fell over all evening - just a stumble and a quick get-up - but they were quite upset about it. What I will also say is that the 3 men boys who skate tomorrow came across as absolute twonks. One of them actually goosed Jordan Banjo whilst he was doing a 'live' piece to camera. Now I imagine Jordan isn't an experienced presenter, even though from what we saw he has the makings of an absolutely first-class one (you heard it here first! Loved him!) so you would have thought that a bit of help and respect from those around would be the order of the day?  Also, the male from Coronation Street who is dancing tomorrow actually used the F'ing word loud and clear on the mike, despite the warm-up guy having been banging on all evening, reminding himself to be careful as there was a whole row of very young children at the front. Sadly I saw only glimpses of Lemar, rugby player Max and weatherman, Alex; the latter was obviously very comfortable and funny in front of the cameras without being attention seeking and I'm sorry we didn't see these 3 skate as they came across as top blokes.

I do have to mention the crew - 4 of them climbed rope ladders into each corner of the rafters where they sat, strapped into a crate for about 3 hours, manning the follow-spots. Alone. In the dark. Freezing. Whatever they are paying these guys and gals is not enough. 

It was lovely to have seen how it's all done, even if the delay and freezing temperatures made it a difficult evening for many people. Some were desperate to phone home (phones were taken off us in the queue) as they had children to pick up or people coming to collect them and weren't able to do so. I have been hugging a radiator since I got home. I am now waiting with baited breath for SRO Audiences to email with an apology and priority tickets to the final....

Oh he was wonderful! When the judges made comments they were just going through the motions, although Jason made a couple of half-hearted attempts to get booed, though he kind of realised we didn't really want to open our mouths and let any cold air in. At one point Jordan gave a serious critique that had everyone sitting up straight. Afterwards Phil made a comment about Ashley being in serious danger of being usurped by his brother!