ITV Dancing on Ice star says show 'can't compete with Strictly' as he slams judging panel
The show is currently in its sixth week, with remaining contestants including TOWIE star Dan Edgar, EastEnders actress Charlie Brooks and former footballer Anton Ferdinand all skating in 80's week in a bid to remain in the competition.
But opening up in a new interview with Betway, former contestant Brendan insisted that they need to make some changes to the current format.
READ MORE: Midsomer Murders star 'favourite' to replace Neil Dudgeon as first female detective
READ MORE: EastEnders fans shocked to find out Priya star's real-life mum is famous soap actress
The pro dancer, who was a professional dancer on Strictly for 14 years before leaving in 2018, also blasted the judging panel Ashley Banjo, Oti Mabuse, Jayne Torvill, and Christopher Dean, insisting they're 'too nice' to contestants.
"The show is the same format, they haven't really changed anything. I thought they might try and change the format and make it a little different to what it has been in the past," Brendan told Betway Casino.
"The contestants and pros this year have had a lot of issues, and a lot of injuries. We've already seen everything, so there needs to be more excitement somehow.
"They had a headbanger performed the other night but that's not actually that challenging, it's more about momentum than skill. I want to see groundbreaking stuff so maybe they need to find contestants that can achieve that."
Comparing the skating contest to Strictly, Brendan said: "When I watch the choreography I think there's something missing, something that Strictly has. Strictly has maintained a high standard and pushed boundaries.
"The quality of dancing on Strictly is better now than it was in my day. That's potentially why it maintains such a high audience. Even the judges on DOI are too lovely in my opinion. Personally, I believe they need some grit in there. The contestants have had enough training and could use the critique.'
He added: 'Being a pro dancer gave me an advantage from a performance point of view, and that's possibly what's lacking in the show this year. There seems to be a lack of performance, and people who are able to show the dance side of it.
"Being a dancer gave me an advantage and in my year, there were three of us with a dance background so it made for an exciting show. That's what I feel is missing this year. Once you've got the skating part down, it becomes a lot easier.
"There is a certain knack to it. It's still a hard skill to master and I definitely didn't have it from the get-go but yes, the performance side of things helped.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
14 hours ago
- Yahoo
All the key Jay Slater evidence from final inquest session as coroner's investigation comes to a close
The inquest into Jay Slater's disappearance was resumed today after being on hold for two months - but two key witnesses still failed to show on the final day of the investigation. When the inquest started on May 21, 2025 it was dramatically halted after Jay's mum Debbie asked for extra attempts to be made to locate witnesses who had failed to respond to a request to give evidence. After just over 12 months, Jay Slater's family now have answers about how the 19-year-old died and the circumstances leading up to his disappearance, Lancs Live reports. READ MORE: Strictly Come Dancing star's 'itching' update as they tease 'new season' of BBC show READ MORE: Coronation Street fans fume over Kit Green update as they 'rumble' Lisa Swain discovery It comes after the apprentice bricklayer from Lancashire went missing on June 17, 2024 in Tenerife after leaving a party in Playa de las Americas and heading north to a remote Airbnb in Masca, before attempting to return on foot. Sign up to the MEN Court newsletter here The inquest resumed today with evidence being heard from Brad Geoghegan and Lucy Law - the two friends who were with Jay in Tenerife when he disappeared. A third friend Brandon Hodgson did not make contact with the coroner's service, and Steven 'Rocky' Roccas - one of the two men who rented the Airbnb where Jay was last seen - could also not be found. The entirety of the evidence has now been heard with the coroner, Dr James Adeley, due to give his summing-up and conclusion on Friday morning. During proceedings the court heard from Brad Geoghegan, who described how he and Jay "might have took it a bit too far" with the drink and drugs as their trip to Tenerife last summer was their 'first boys' holiday". Although Jay, from Oswaldtwistle, had been drunk, on the night of Sunday, June 16 - the last night of the NRG music festival - he was still coherent and not "in a state", Brad said. This was corroborated by Ayub Qassim, the other man who had rented the Airbnb where Jay was last seen. Ayub, who gave his evidence via video link from a foreign country, said that Jay was "on a buzz" but could still stand up and talk. Jay had asked Ayub and Rocky if he could go back to their Airbnb, the inquest heard. Ayub warned Jay it was "far away" but promised to drop him back off in town the following morning. A picture of Jay, taken by Ayub after they parked up at the Airbnb in Masca, showed him smiling. Ayub left Jay with a blanket, a towel and a "deck of fags" and then went upstairs to bed. Join our Court and Crime WhatsApp group HERE He was later woken by a neighbour ringing the doorbell to get Ayub to move his car which had blocked in their van. Jay then told Ayub he was going to catch a bus back to town. Ayub told Jay "it's not the kind of place where there's a bus every 10 minutes" but Jay insisted on setting off. Ayub repeatedly insisted that Jay "didn't steal no watch", referencing a Snapchat message Jay had sent to a friends in which he claimed to have stolen a Rolex or an Audemars Piguet watch. Ayub suggested this could have been a case of Jay exaggerating or trying to show off to his mates. Jay's other childhood friend, Lucy Law who he had met at secondary school, was seen as the "sensible" member of the group. When Jay called her on the morning of Monday June 17, and said he was walking home but needed a drink, she urged him to "go back" to the Airbnb "before it gets boiling". Jay's mobile phone battery then died, at around 8.43am, and he was reported missing shortly afterwards at 9am. His body was found in a ravine, on July 15, by a mountain rescue team who said Jay's bag had been found around 20 metres higher up - suggesting that was where he fell from. The inquest will continue from 10am on Friday, July 25 when the coroner will sum up the case and then deliver his conclusion.
New York Post
16 hours ago
- New York Post
Ozzy Osbourne was ‘frustrated' during Black Sabbath's farewell concert: bandmate
In the wake of his death, Ozzy Osbourne's Black Sabbath bandmate is shedding light on the quiet struggle behind the rock group's final show. Tony Iommi, Black Sabbath guitarist and co-founder, told UK broadcaster ITV that Osbourne was 'frustrated' during the band's farewell concert on July 5. The heavy metal icon died less than three weeks later, on July 22, at age 76. 5 Iommi told UK broadcast ITV that Osbourne was 'frustrated' during Black Sabbath's farewell concert. ITV News/Youtube 'I think he was moved and frustrated as well, 'cause he wanted to stand up,' Iommi, 77, told the outlet on July 23. 'You could see he was trying to get up.' Advertisement The 'Crazy Train' singer, who had struggled with Parkinson's disease since his diagnosis in 2020, performed from a black leather chair during the show at Villa Park in Birmingham. Though the throne, decorated with a bat motif, was classic Ozzy, Iommi told BBC Radio 4's 'Today' on July 23 that sitting onstage wasn't quite what his bandmate wanted. 5 Osbourne performed from a black leather chair during the show. Greg Draven/X 'I think of him and the fun we had, really. That's what was weird about this show because Ozzy was seated in a throne, and that's the last thing that Ozzy would have ever wanted to be but it had to,' he said. 'Normally, he's bouncing around onstage and coming up to me and pulling faces. He'd always have a laugh.' Advertisement Iommi told ITV that Osbourne had texted him the day before he died, saying he was tired and had no energy. 'We could see it in rehearsal,' he explained. 'We didn't want him there every day at rehearsal because it's too much. He just wouldn't be able to stand it.' 5 Black Sabbath's final performance took place on July 5 at Villa Park in Birmingham. REUTERS He continued, 'They'd bring him in, and he'd sit down and sing a few songs. And then, we'd talk about some rubbish, old times, or whatever, have a laugh, and then he'd go.' Advertisement Still, Iommi said the final performance 'meant everything to [Osbourne].' 'This is what we built up for — for that big ending, where he could see all the people, and we could all see all the people and close it in that way,' he added. 'We didn't expect to close it so quick with us. We didn't expect him to go that quick, really. We didn't expect him to go, so it's been a shock.' 5 Osbourne's Black Sabbath bandmates paid tribute to him on social media. WireImage After news broke of the Prince of Darkness' passing, Iommi took to Instagram to pay tribute to his late bandmate. Advertisement Alongside a carousel of throwback photos of Osbourne and Black Sabbath, he wrote: 'I just can't believe it! My dear dear friend Ozzy has passed away only weeks after our show at Villa Park. It's just such heartbreaking news that I can't really find the words, there won't ever be another like him. Geezer, Bill and myself have lost our brother. My thoughts go out to Sharon and all the Osbourne family. Rest in peace Oz.' 5 Iommi and Osbourne performing onstage. Redferns Fellow Black Sabbath members bassist Geezer Butler and drummer Bill Ward also shared heartfelt messages in the wake of Osbourne's death. Butler, 76, for his part, posted on Instagram: 'Goodbye dear friend- thanks for all those years- we had some great fun. 4 kids from Aston- who'd have thought, eh? So glad we got to do it one last time, back in Aston. Love you.' Ward, 77, wrote on X: 'Where will I find you now? In the memories, our unspoken embraces, our missed phone calls, no, you're forever in my heart. Deepest condolences to Sharon and all the family members. RIP Sincere regrets to all the fans. Never goodbye. Thank you forever.'
Yahoo
18 hours ago
- Yahoo
AI used to aid Love Island casting process, ITV boss says
TV producers have been using AI to aid with the casting of shows such as Love Island, the chief executive of ITV has said. Speaking as ITV announced its half-year results, Dame Carolyn McCall said the broadcaster uses AI in many ways. 'We will use AI in any way we can to make what we do more efficient,' she told members of the media. 'And a great example of that for me from (ITV) Studios is they're using a tool where it's a smart editing assistance and it's about speed and quality. 'And they used it for Love Island and casting this year. 'So that productivity gain means that they can go and do other things, which is really, really good.' Love Island has been a huge ratings hit for ITV since its launch in 2015, with each series receiving around 100,000 applications from members of the public. A spokeswoman for ITV later explained that generative AI does not make any decisions during the Love Island casting process, but is used to edit hundreds of hours of footage into highlight reels for members of the team to then watch. 'It simply assists with the editing of audition tapes during the casting period,' she said. 'We get thousands and thousands of applications every year and we hold face to face auditions. 'When we get to the stage of narrowing it down to hundreds of prospective Islanders and we want to share audition highlights on a reel with the ITV commissioning team, to support the casting decision, we use the software (Quickture along with an Adobe editing programme) to edit the hundreds of hours of footage into highlight reels. 'It means that the casting team can then spend more time researching and finding more prospective Islanders.' Announcing its latest results on Thursday, ITV said it had stepped up cost-cutting plans again following a slump in half-year profits. The broadcaster said it was slashing costs by another £15 million, on top of £30 million previously announced, with spend on content being trimmed. The group flagged using technology among efforts to drive the latest round of cost-cutting.
