Dancing on Ice 2025, episode 1 review: Michaela Strachan the most ...

In Storey’s absence, top billing was taken by Olympic rower Sir Steve Redgrave. Other familiar faces included a trio of soap actors in Healey (aka Goldie from Hollyoaks), Sam Aston (aka Chesney from Coronation Street) and Charlie Brooks (aka Janine from EastEnders). They were joined by naturalist Michaela Strachan, former footballer Anton “brother of Rio” Ferdinand and comedian Josh Jones (me neither).

The field was rounded out by reality TV rent-a-randoms: Love Islander Chris Taylor and not one but two “stars” of The Only Way Is Essex, Dan Edgar and Ferne McCann. Pearce, the betrayed finalist from last year’s series of The Traitors, has been installed as bookies’ favourite. This was quite a comedown from the castle game show, both in quality and audience numbers.

Of those 11 pro-celebrity pairings, six took their tentative first steps onto the RAF Bovingdon rink in this live curtain-raiser. Strachan was by far the most accomplished, topping the scoreboard with a retro routine full of delightful details. At 58, the inspirational Strachan could prove the icy equivalent of Debbie McGee, Annabel Croft or Sarah Hadland on land-based rival Strictly Come Dancing.