professional Brendyn Hatfield has announced he has quit the skating show after six years. The American figure skater joined the long-running show back in 2019 following the major reboot after four years off the airwaves. During his time on the figure skating reality show, the 38-year-old has been partnered up with journalist and newsreader Lucrezia Millarini, rapper Lady Leshurr, Love Island star Ekin-Su Culculoglu, Lou Sanders, Ferne McCann, and Rachel Stevens. But after Sam Aston was crowned the winner of the 17th series, the dad-of-one announced his departure from the show.
Taking to , Brendyn – who is now in a relationship with the former S Club 7 star – shared the sad news online. Alongside a duo of snaps from the live ITV final, he captioned the post: “Six incredible years. A lifetime of memories [skating boot and sparkle emoji]. Being part of Dancing on Ice has been an unforgettable journey – one filled with amazing performances, incredible partnerships, and moments that will stay with me forever. From the very first time I stepped onto the ice for this show to now, it has been an hour to share my passion with all of you.
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Dancing on Ice’s Brendyn Hatfield issued an emotional update (Image: Instagram)
“To my fellow pros, my celebrity partners, the entire DOI team, and, of course, the fans – thank you for the support, the laughs, and the memories that will last a lifetime. Though this chapter is coming to an end, the joy and love for skating will always be a part of me. Grateful for it all [prayer emoji]. Here’s to the next adventure [prayer emoji].”
It didn’t take long before his famous friends and loyal legion of fans flooded to the comments to pass on their well wishes online. Rachel gushed: “So proud of you my [heart emoji].” Another user added: “Loved seeing you on the show Brendyn. Thank you for showcasing to us your amazing talents, good luck with all your next projects. I’ll be following along.”
A third echoed: “You’ll be truly missed, thank you… thank you… thank you [sparkle emoji] What an incredible 6 years… best of luck with your new adventures, lots of love [heart emoji].”
It comes as the long-running show faces the chop after viewing figures crashed from a peak of 12million, with only a quarter of that watching as the soap hunk, 31, beat Michaela Strachan, 58, and former footie ace Anton Ferdinand, 40, in the live final.
Insiders told The Sun that the series is not cheap to produce and is in need of a major revamp. A source said: “The staffers on Dancing on Ice are saying the show is over and claim they’ve been told as much.
“It’s a mainstay if ITV’s schedule and viewing figures are remarkably less than they were but they still had almost three million watch the launch show.”