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Torvill and Dean's Dancing On Ice Tour
Torvill And Dean's Dancing On Ice Live
MEN Arena
April 22, 2010
You're assured of glitz, glamour and a night of camp entertainment with the live tour of hit TV show Dancing On Ice. But what has always given this celebrity show a real edge has been that tantalising prospect of a fair few thrills and spills on the slippery ice setting at the MEN Arena.
And on this, the fourth tour featuring stars and their professional ice dance partners from the ITV series, we have the most competitive line-up yet.
We have three series winners in the form of reigning champion Hayley Tamaddon, last year’s winner Ray Quinn and the first series champ, ex-Corrie star Gaynor Faye to do battle on the ice.
Add to that some of the best runners-up from previous shows too, like ex-Hollyoaks hunk Chris Fountain and actress Claire Buckfield, it means there’s simply no room for a comedy turn like Todd Carty who entertained us last year.
But clearly it’s pushing our competitive celebs to the limits – and on the opening night at the M.E.N. Arena, Scouser Ray has to withdraw from the competition after his sizzling show opener dancing to I Gotta Feeling after suffering a back spasm.
Overseeing it all are the talismanic ringmasters of the show, Olympic heroes Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean.
So it’s rather fitting that they open the show with a circus-themed extravaganza, with the gold-medallists making a simply spectacular entrance swinging in on a giant trapeze as they lead a stunning skate-off to The Eurythmics’ Sweet Dreams.
It sets the standard for the contest ahead – in which the celebrities once again do battle and aim to win audience text votes at each performance to make it through to a final “skate-off” to Torvill and Dean’s infamous Bolero.
On the opening night in Manchester, it is returning skater Chris Fountain who is in the most sizzling form with new ice partner Brianne Delcourt.
Their high speed performance to Michael Jackson’s The Way You Make Me Feel was so good, the panel of five judges – ITV regulars Nicky Slater and Karen Barber, former winner Kyran Bracken alongside entertainer Christopher Biggins and guest judge, Granada’s Caroline Hacking, have no other option but to award the perfect “6.0” score.
Reigning ice queen Hayley Tamaddon just misses out on a similarly high score with her sparkling Jai Ho routine from the recent series when Nicky – who is clearly taking over the Jason Gardiner “Mr Nasty” role on this panel – insists on marking her down despite the rest of the panel dishing out the 6.0s.
It still helps Hayley to win through to the final with Chris – but it is the Hollyoaks heart-throb who is crowned the worthy winner on the night after his breathtaking Bolero routine.
It crowns a glitzy two and a half hours of laughter, drama and death spirals at the arena.
Reviewed: Fri, 23 April, 2010
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Dianne Bourne
17/04/09 08:59
AS far as celebrity reality TV shows go, Dancing On Ice must count as the most perilous.
Many a famous face has found to their cost that the unforgiving ice of the hit ITV show can lead to broken bones as well as broken dreams along the way.
In a warped sort of way, it what makes the show all the more exciting for us viewers.
And it still manages to pack the thousands upon thousands of fans into the M.E.N. Arena for this, the third year of touring.
But this year has an extra special bit of pizzazz going for it – and that’s because the show’s benefactors and inspiration, ice legends Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean, are celebrating the 25th anniversary of their famous Bolero Olympic success.
It’s a fact we’re not easily allowed to forget along the way of this ice extravaganza, from the opening strains of Ravel’s classic right through to your very own commemorative “gold Olympic medal” found with every purchase of a souvenir programme at the Arena.
Purple ensembles
And then of course there are the ice dancing celebrities themselves – they all compete on each night of the tour for the chance to do their very own take on Torvill and Dean’s routine – complete with ubiquitous purple ensembles of course.
Torvill and Dean themselves never fail to disappoint – they, more than any of the professionals or celebrities on this tour, are who truly epitomise the spirit of dancing on ice.
Their Bolero that starts this fun family show still brings a tear to the eye.
We go from the sublime to the ridiculous with the inclusion of Todd “Calamity” Carty among the line-up of celebrities, but he brings a heap of welcome laughter to this show with his bumbling routines. In fact he gets probably the biggest cheers on the opening night of this six-show stint at the Arena.
Current champion
But there’s no mistaking the true star of this celebrity line-up, the current champion of the ITV dance show, Ray Quinn.
From the moment the golden boy bounds onto the huge ice rink, legs akimbo for a scintillating mid-air leg split, with the cries of: “Get your kit off” squealed from frisky females all around, you kind of sense the other ice stars barely stand a chance.
He, and celebrities including popstar Jessica Taylor, ex-soap beauty Roxanne Pallett and Bury’s own celeb skate champ Suzanne Shaw, compete in the first half to win the judges’ approval (with the hope of those perfect "6.0" scores) and audience text votes.
In a more fast-paced second half they all strut their stuff for a second dance each before we find out which two celebs will compete in the Bolero skate-off.
X Factor star Ray has won every night of the show so far, and on this showing it’s hard to see how he will be beaten. But hey, it’s great fun watching them all try in this action-packed show.
Torvill & Dean's Dancing On Ice is at the M.E.N. Arena until Sunday, April 19. Friday (7.30pm), Saturday (2.30pm, 7.30pm), Sunday (1.30pm, 6.30pm). £32.50 - £45. Call 0844 847 8000.
This review is the opinion of a CityLife reader and not that of CityLife itself
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