Dancing On Ice viewers demand Johnny Weir as a permanent judge

The ITV skating competition has welcomed a new judge while Ashley Banjo is temporarily absent on a Diversity tour.

Tom Beasley
·Contributor
·2 min read
Johnny Weir was a popular new addition to the Dancing On Ice judging panel, replacing Ashley Banjo. (ITV)
Johnny Weir was a popular new addition to the Dancing On Ice judging panel, replacing Ashley Banjo. (ITV)
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What did you miss?

It was all change this week on Dancing On Ice as the judging panel welcomed a brand new face. Ashley Banjo is away due to commitments surrounding the Diversity tour, so professional skater Johnny Weir stepped up to replace him.

Weir immediately won over the audience with his intelligent critiques, with many so impressed by his constructive comments that they demanded he be drafted in as a permanent replacement for Banjo.

What, how and why?

Dancing On Ice hosts Stephen Mulhern and Holly Willoughby. (ITV)
Dancing On Ice hosts Stephen Mulhern and Holly Willoughby. (ITV)

Weir has serious skating pedigree, having represented the United States at two Winter Olympics and won a bronze medal at the World Championships in 2008. Viewers compared him to Banjo who, while an accomplished dancer, has only learned to skate in the last few years.

We'll get to see Weir on the panel for several weeks as Banjo is not due back until later in the series. That news has certainly gone down well with some viewers, who praised Weir for providing "actual practical feedback" to the celebrities.

Weir won over fans from the start, giving fan favourite Lou Sanders constructive criticism after her routine to the title song from the historical musical Six. The star spoke at the beginning of the programme about how it was an "honour" to be able to appear on a show that "celebrates" figure skating.

This means the Dancing On Ice 2024 line-up will have to step things up even more. They now have three Olympians to impress.

What else happened on Dancing On Ice?

Eddie the Eagle has become as much of a cult favourite in Dancing On Ice as he did on the ski slopes. (ITV)
Eddie the Eagle has become as much of a cult favourite in Dancing On Ice as he did on the ski slopes. (ITV)

It was Musicals Week and there were some big score on show, with Eddie the Eagle securing an impressive 31.5 points for his Phantom of the Opera performance. Elsewhere, Ryan Thomas took not one but two tumbles as he performed to Sit Down, You're Rockin' The Boat from Guys and Dolls.

Presenting duo Holly Willoughby and Stephen Mulhern also announced that this week's show will be a double elimination. The celebrity with the lowest number of votes will leave immediately, with the next two lowest competing in the skate-off.

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