The end of the final series of Dancing On Ice is so close now that weāre feeling a little bit sad about what weāre going to watch on TV next winter in its absence.
Only one week away from crowning its ultimate champion, Dancing On Ice moved into the semi-final stage tonight as the four remaining celebrities ā Sam Attwater, Beth Tweddle, Hayley Tamaddon and Ray Quinn ā battled it out for a plan in next weekās final. Tonight all of the couples had to skate twice to impress the judges and the audience at home.
The dreaded technical challenge was back tonight as the celebrities had to fly during their performance. We all remember how sick it made Gareth Thomas last year! Who would soar and who would come thundering to the ice?
Kicking off the show tonight was Sam Attwater and his partner Vicky Ogden. Sam has had a really rough ride this series after being in the skate-off four times. During his intro VT Sam explained how hectic his schedule has been performing in a touring production and rehearsing for Dancing On Ice. For their first skate tonight Sam and Vicky performed to Robbie Williamsā Let Me Entertain You.
What a great start to the show. Itās good to see that Samās confidence hasnāt been dented by being in the skate-off so many times.
Sam and Vicky were awarded 36.5 out of 40 from the judges.
Jason said Samās performance was explosive and energetic telling them he loved their partnership. Ashley agreed with Jason telling Sam it was fun, fast and furious. Karen said there were a few little problems but told Sam she hoped he was here next week. Robin said explosive was the right word to describe the performance.
Hayley Tamaddon was the second onto the ice tonight and the first celebrity to fly tonight. During training Hayleyās partner Dan Whiston suffered an injury meaning that she had to train without him. It wasnāt until Friday evening that Hayley and Dan found out they could skate together during tonightās live show. Did the lack of rehearsal time affect their performance? Hayley and Dan skated to Ellie Gouldingās How Long Will I Love You.
What a beautiful performance from Hayley and Dan tonight. The way she held her poise during the flying was incredible.
Hayley and Dan were awarded Ā 40 out of 40 from the judges.
Karen said it was the most beautiful flying routine ever on the show telling Hayley she felt the performance. Jason said wow and told Hayley it was one of the most beautiful things heās ever seen on the show. Ashley said Hayley was so gorgeous and likened her to a fairy. Robin said Hayley was exquisite to watch and told her it was believable throughout.
Olympian Beth Tweddle was the next celebrity onto the ice for her first skate of the evening. Last week Beth was really ill and it showed in her performance. She admitted that she went through the motions just to make sure she got to the end of the routines. During training Beth revealed she was much better and her energy levels were back. She knew that she had a lot to prove this week so did she have a return to form? Beth and her partner Lukasz Rozycki skated to Florence and the Machineās Dog Days Are Over.
Beth was most definitely back tonight and she packed her performance with tons of energy and personality. Surely Jason will be happy tonight?
Beth and Lukasz were awarded 36.5 out of 40 from the judges.
Karen told Beth that the performance and skating came together. Jason told Beth that technique-wise she was spot on but told her that her personality still isnāt coming through. Robin said he agreed with Jason to a certain extent but told her she was giving some performance.
The final celebrity to skate for the first time tonight was Ray Quinn. The actor and singer has been the standout skater of the series by far but could he cope with the flying in his performance? In his intro VT Ray said he was worried about flying before going on to say he hated it. He was struggling to get to grips with the flying and shared his concerns that it could ruin his high scores. Ray and his partner Maria Filippov skated to Arthurās Theme by Christopher Cross.
That wasnāt Rayās best performance but we thought he did pretty well really considering he had struggled so much in training.
Ray and Maria were awarded 37.0 out of 40 from the judges.
Ashley gave Ray a 10 and told him he was like Peter Pan flying over the ice. Robin pointed out a few errors in Rayās performance and told him the transitions needed to be cleaner. Jason said Ray presented himself beautifully in the air but told him that he felt nothing from the performance tonight.
It was time for the couples to skate their second routine of the night. First back onto the ice was Hayley and Dan and this time there was no flying involved. They skated to Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy by The Andrews Sisters.
Another fantastic performance from Hayley tonight. In terms of performance sheās ahead of the pack.
Hayley and Dan were awarded 39.0 out of 40 from the judges.
Jason said Hayley gave a masterclass in performance and dance. Ashley said Hayley gave fun and energy during the performance. Karen said it was fast and furious.
Sam and Vicky were the next back onto the ice. For their second performance the couple had to attempt flying. Sam is the only celebrity in the competition that has never flown before and during training he was finding it very hard. They skated to Phil Collinsā In The Air Tonight.
Sam did really well with that performance but he wasnāt quite as confident as the other celebs that had flown so far tonight.
Sam and Vicky were awarded 36.0 out of 40 from the judges.
Ashley called Sam a fighter and said the performance was very dramatic. Karen said it was harder for the female pro to lead a male celeb but told them well done. Jason said the performance was a bit True Blood to him but told Sam some of the positions in the air let his marks down. Robin said that Sam used his imposing height to his advantage during the performance.
Ray Quinn was putting the flying behind him for a more traditional couples skate with his partner Maria Filippov. This week has been a tough one for Ray and he may not be at the top of the leaderboard by the end of the evening. Ray and Maria skated to Passengerās Let Her Go.
That was the Ray we know and love. The skate was much more confident and had the magic that heās spread over the ice all series.
Ray and Maria were awarded 40 out of 40 from the judges.
Robin said it was sublime to watch Ray skate. Karen said Rayās performance was beautiful and told him he understands light and shade. Ashley said itās a joy to watch Ray every week. Jason said Ray gave elegance, grace and sophistication during the performance telling him his range is one of the best theyāve ever had.
Last to skate again tonight and closing the show was Beth Tweddle and Lukasz Rozycki. For her second performance Beth had to fly and during training she admitted, like Ray, that she hated it. She revealed that she would give it her all as it was the last time sheād have to fly again. Beth and Lukasz skated to Gloria Estefanās Reach.
Well you couldnāt tell she hated it could you? What a great performance from Beth!
Beth and Lukasz were awarded 37.0 out of 40 from the judges.
Jason said Bethās arms were great throughout the performance but told her that she lacked connection. Karen said she thought Beth has come a long way telling her it was a great performance. Ashley said some of the lifts were great but told Beth her performance level wasnāt as high as the other celebs.
The leaderboard for the evening was:
Hayley Tamaddon and Dan Whiston ā 79.0
Ray Quinn and Maria Filippov ā 77.0
Beth Tweddle and Lukasz Rozycki ā 73.5
Sam Attwater and Vicky Ogden ā 72.0