I never thought I would write these words but I miss on screens – well specifically. To be clear I am not a fan of his. I always found him to be somewhat smug on and his work hosting the British Soap Awards always felt very dry. Don’t even get me started on those adverts he used to appear in for a car company!
However on Dancing on Ice he shined. He could be more anarchic than he was on daytime TV. Alongside the duo had such an easy rapport their back and forth was often more entertaining than what was happening on the ice.
I do love , who replaced Phillip on the reality show last year. He is one of the most genuinely likeable celebrities you could encounter. He is the king of he quiz show and managed to step into Noel Edmonds not inconsiderable shoes on Deal or No Deal with aplomb.
But despite being a capable presenter he feels out of his depth on Dancing on Ice. Stephen and Holly go back two decades but their relationship still feels far more forced than her interaction wth Phillip ever did.
I’ve watched Dancing on Ice since the show launched in 2006 and the skill set involved is huge as is the risk of injury. This means many celebrities play it super safe for the first few weeks doing little more than skating in a circle around the ice.
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Phillip Schofield hosted Dancing on Ice from its 2006 launch until he quit ITV in 2023 (Image: Getty)
Let’s be honest – that doesn’t make for very entertaining viewing. I see more entertaining skaters in a local ice rink. But combine that with Phillip’s cheeky banter and quick thinking when something goes wrong and it was extremly entertaining. He never seemed to be trying too hard and genuinely appeared to be having a good time on the show, which is always infectous for us viewers.
Last year was the first time I didn’t make Dancing on Ice “appointment viewing”. It is usually a highlight of my January TV schedule but, having watched the opener, I just could not engage with it despite being a fan of some of the competitors. It reached the point where I was only watching when I had to for work purposes and I generally found it forced and excruciating.
The Magic Mike skit, which saw dancers from the raunchy show take to the stage to perform a routine as host Stephen showed off his “chest” (a fake one) . While I wouldn’t have been compelled to formally complain about it the whole thing felt embarrassing, like they were trying too hard, and would never have happened on Phillip’s watch.
Phillip stepped down from ITV after he admitted to an “unwise but not illegal” affair with a younger colleague. The broadcaster announced Phillip would depart from all of his duties on the channel in May 2023 after the affair was revealed. In September last year Phillip denied this Either way he was gone.
For me the last straw was actually “queuegate” where he and Holly appeared to cut the line to see the late lying-in-state in 2022. With a nation in mourning and many bigger stars waiting patiently to pay their respects this just left a sour taste in my mouth. It felt like they thought they were above waiting and screamed entitlement.
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Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield’s working relationship began on Dancing on Ice (Image: Getty)
His, frankly whiney, interviews after his departure did little to endear him to me or others and he did himself no favours on his TV return on Channel 5’s Castaway. He seemed to use it as vehicle to dig the boot in to those he felt had wronged him. He came across as self pitying and oblivious to the reasons people may have taken umbrage at his affair.
At points he also appeared quite broken by the whole situation – it can’t be easy having your life implode overnight – and seemed quite directionless now that his career has disappeared.
I believe the whole debacle has been a lesson in humility for Phillip, who was one of ITV’s biggest stars. They could do worse than bring him back into the fold for Dancing on Ice. I have zero excitment for this year’s show and I think he could actually engage viewers like me again.
I’m not alone in my thinking. Twenty months after he stepped down from all his ITV presenting roles an poll showed that while 56% of people think he shouldn’t return to host Sunday night flagship show 42% of people would like to see him back. That is a lot of people wanting to see him on screens.
I already know there are certain episodes I will have to watch for work purposes but the show has become a husk of its former self and needs Phillip back to inject some life back into it.