16 January 2024 , 13:20
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Dancing on Ice viewers accused the judges of 'copying' each other's scores in a brand new 'fix' row about the show.
The series returned to screens over the weekend, with former This Morning presenter Holly Willoughby and Stephen Mulhern hosting the figure skating competition. The judges panel included dancers Ashley Banjo and Oti Mabuse and former Olympic ice skating champions Christopher Dean and Jayne Torvill.
One of the contestants, soap star Roxy Shahidi, performed for the judges and viewers at home and fans noticed she received the same score of five points from all four judges. Fellow contestant and former professional boxer Ricky Hatton received the same three points from three out of four judges.
Irritated viewers rushed to X, formerly known as Twitter, to complain about 'another series' of judges copying each other's scores.
Viewers accused the show of being 'fixed' (Kieron McCarron/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)"Another series of Chris copying Jane’s score again," one user said while another added: "Will Chris and Jayne have different scores this year? Early days." One fan referred to previous seasons, which featured the likes of Jason Gardiner, Karen Barber and Robin Cousins.
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The fan wrote: "Everyone thinks Ashley is copying Jason but I'm sure its Karen and Robin #bore the same scores all the way through!" Another added: "I'm sure Emma [Bunton] is copying Robin's scores, get your own score! lol." The competition has been hit with 'fix' claims every season.
Roxy received the same score from all four judges (WireImage)
The series is hit with 'fix' claims every single year (Kieron McCarron/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)Last year, some fans accused judges of underscoring Nile Wilson. One performance saw him receive 35, which angered viewers at home who believed he deserved more. In 2022, fans slammed the show when Regan Gascoigne was given a stellar score despite making a series of slip-ups during his routine.
Regan and partner Karina Manta performed a snake-inspired routine to Ed Sheeran’s track Shivers in the live show but were close to taking a tumble three times during the routine. The judges still praised the duo nonetheless and gave them their highest score yet of 36.5.
It also seems like every year fans feel one particular contestant has an unfair advantage over the others. Former Strictly Come Dancing professional Brendan Cole was a contestant in 2022 and fans were quick to complain about him having a professional dance background.
At the time, Brendan had to deny he had an advantage because of his dance training. He said: "I think everybody’s got their own strength and weakness. And you can’t compare apples with pears. Yes, I find it easy to pick up choreography because it’s something I’ve done for many years, whereas somebody else may struggle.
"There’s definitely a competition within a competition for the ones that have dance experience, of which there are a few."