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Jayne Torvill: We are sad to have paused Dancing On Ice

The programme is taking a week-long break.

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Dancing On Ice 2021

Jayne Torvill has said the Dancing On Ice production team are “sad” the programme has been paused after they worked so hard to make the show happen this year.

The celebrity skating competition is taking a week-long break after a number of contestants suffered injuries or contracted coroanvirus.

Torvill, a judge on the programme, told ITV’s Lorraine she hopes to see some “great routines” when the show returns as the contestants will have had longer to prepare.

TV Choice Awards 2019 – London
(Matt Crossick/PA)

Emmerdale star Joe-Warren Plant and his professional skating partner Vanessa Bauer pulled out of the competition after testing positive for coronavirus, as did comedian Rufus Hound.

Reality TV star Billie Shepherd also left the show early after injuring herself in a fall, while actress and singer Denise Van Outen withdrew after she partially dislocated her shoulder during training.

Actor Jason Donovan had to miss last week’s episode after he injured his back.

Torvill said: “We have this little saying that if you’re not falling, you’re not trying, but in that respect we don’t want people to push themselves too far that they do get injured.

“We are always taking precautions with that and giving advice.”

Fellow judge Christopher Dean told Lorraine that Donovan has “rested up” and is “getting back to fitness and all being well, we will see him next week”.

National Lottery Awards 2019 – London
Christopher Dean (Isabel Infantes/PA)

“He’s loving the show, he’s loving what he’s doing and he’s passionate to get back so we are excited to see him back on the ice very soon,” Dean added.

On Friday, Van Outen discussed her recovery from injury with the BBC’s Morning Live.

She said it was “quite a bad fall”, adding: “I’m a bit concerned now that I am getting frozen shoulder because I’ve got very limited movement, I feel like I have taken a little bit of a step back.

“I’ve got another scan on Tuesday next week so I should know more.

“But it’s a weird thing when it’s your shoulder because you can’t really put a cast on it, you can’t keep it in a sling so you’ve just got to try and keep it moving so I keep forgetting… I still have fractured bones.”

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