HAPPY Mondays legend Bez has announced he has tested positive for Covid-19 the day after making his Dancing On Ice debut.
The 57-year-old has said he is "gutted" that he will miss training but is looking forward to skating again in week three.
Bez, whose real name is Mark Berry, took to the ice rink on Sunday's live show for the first episode back of the ITV skating competition.
Bez told the Daily Star: "I've had a positive test.
"I'm gutted because I'm going to be missing training but I'm looking forward to skating on the show again for Week Three and I'll be tuning at home and cheering on my mates who are skating this weekend."
Responding to the news, an ITV spokesperson said: "We have stringent protocols in place to ensure the health and safety of all our contributors and staff which are routinely monitored and updated to reflect the current guidelines."
Read our Dancing on Ice blog for the latest real time updates….
- Louis Allwood
Brendan Cole: I'm in it to win it
Former Strictly Come Dancing professional Brendan Cole, who will perform with partner Vanessa Bauer, is hoping to follow in the footsteps of ex-Strictly dancer and Dancing On Ice 2019 champion James Jordan.
The 45-year-old has said previously: "None of this 'I don't mind if I don't win', we all want to do well, you don't take part in something like this if you don't want to do well.
"Everyone is going to be trying their utmost to get to the next week, to the next week, to the next week, and if anybody says they're not they're lying through their teeth."
- Joseph Gamp
Liberty Poole avoided a health kick for new skating regime
LIBERTY has avoided a health kick to go with her strict new skating regime, saying: “I’ve still got the same s**tty diet.”
The reality TV favourite’s guilty pleasures include burgers and sweet tea.
But she told how she has still managed to lose weight thanks to hours of ice training.Liberty said: “I love my McDonald’s. I still love my sugary cups of tea. The tea I’m drinking right now has three sugars in it.
“I’ve got a proper sweet tooth. Maybe the ice-skating training is why I’ve lost some weight.
“I wouldn’t even say I’ve lost a load. I don’t know for sure as I don’t weigh myself.
“I’ve definitely lost some, but I’m still just me.”
- Joseph Gamp
Dancing on Ice’s Bez lived in a SHED for months
Bez, 57, says he hit rock bottom aged 16, so turned to a friend called Maggi, who gave him a place to stay.
But when the time came for him to move, he came up with the idea of turning a shed at the bottom of Maggi’s garden into his own “private little pad”.
After agreeing to his idea, the former Celebrity Big Brother housemate transformed it into a liveable space – and even used it to woo girls.
He said: “I set to it right away, whitewashing the interior and putting in a thick-pile carpet, followed by a raised platform bed, a TV, a stereo and a calor gas heater.
“I even had my own facilities for making the brews in the morning. For a lad of sixteen, it was heaven.
“Okay so it was a shed, but it didn’t half come in useful as a conversation piece, plus the girls just loved the novelty value.”
- Joseph Gamp
Alison Hammond tells Shaun Ryder ‘I never liked you’ in tense Dancing On Ice clash
ALISON Hammond and Shaun Ryder clashed backstage on the first episode of Dancing On Ice, according to reports.
The rivals, who haven't seen eye to eye since appearing on I'm A Celebrity in 2020, shared some frosty words behind the scenes.
The Star reports Alison told the Happy Mondays singer: “I never liked you. From the first minute I met you and spoke to you, I never liked you.”
Shaun replied: “I know.”
Before the exchange, Loose Women star Denise Welch asked Shaun what the issue was between him and Alison.
He told the publication: “I don’t know why Denise came over to me. Ever since the jungle show, I knew Alison didn’t like me."
- Joseph Gamp
The Bez show on earth
Fans have started a campaign to get Happy Mondays star to win the show.
They have hailed the loveable rocker ‘the new Todd Carty’ after he performed with a crash helmet on.
One fan Tweeted: “Bez to win!!!!”
Another said: “I used all my five votes on Bez.”
A third said: “Who’d have thought that the sight of Bez on ice skates was the thing we needed in 2022.
Amazing!!”
- Joseph Gamp
Bez tests positive for COVID a day after DOI debut
Bez tests positive for Happy Mondays dancer Bez has announced he has tested positive for Covid-19 the day after making his Dancing On Ice debut.
The 57-year-old has said he is "gutted" that he will miss training but is looking forward to skating again in week three.
Bez, whose real name is Mark Berry, took to the ice rink on Sunday's live show for the first episode back of the ITV skating competition.
Bez told the Daily Star: "I've had a positive test.
"I'm gutted because I'm going to be missing training but I'm looking forward to skating on the show again for Week Three and I'll be tuning at home and cheering on my mates who are skating this weekend."
Responding to the news, an ITV spokesperson said: "We have stringent protocols in place to ensure the health and safety of all our contributors and staff which are routinely monitored and updated to reflect the current guidelines."
- Joseph Gamp
Brendan Cole: I’m in it to win it
Former Strictly Come Dancing professional Brendan Cole, who will perform with partner Vanessa Bauer, is hoping to follow in the footsteps of ex-Strictly dancer and Dancing On Ice 2019 champion James Jordan.
The 45-year-old has said previously: “None of this ‘I don’t mind if I don’t win’, we all want to do well, you don’t take part in something like this if you don’t want to do well.
“Everyone is going to be trying their utmost to get to the next week, to the next week, to the next week, and if anybody says they’re not they’re lying through their teeth.”
- Joseph Gamp
Oti Mabuse breathes new life into the judging panel
The judging panel has welcomed Oti Mabuse as its latest addition, following ex-judge John Barrowman’s departure.
Strictly Come Dancing professional Oti has already had her fair share of judging experience after her stint on The Greatest Dancer.
The 31-year-old star has had an incredibly busy few years, appearing as a panellist on The Masked Dancer in 2021, and both choreographing and guest judging on RuPaul’s Drag Race UK last year.
Now, the stunning dancer has been signed up for Dancing on Ice, making her debut on the panel this weekend.
Fans and critics have been eagerly awaiting the South African star’s first appearance, and unsurprisingly, she went down a hit.
Oti wowed tonight in a bold asymmetric gown and matched her huge glittering platform heels to the bright red dress.
She coordinated her jewellery, opting for ruby and diamond earrings and a statement necklace, as well as a bold red lip to finish off the look.
- Joseph Gamp
Who was former DOI pro Sean Rice?
Sean Rice was a former figure skater famed for his appearances on ITV’s Dancing on Ice.
Born in Ontario, Canada, in 1972, he went on to become a two-time Canadian pairs bronze medallist with partner Jodeyne Higgins, and four-time Canadian fours champion.
He retired from competitive skating to tour on Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines before joining Dancing on Ice in 2011.
During his first appearance, he was partnered with TV presenter and journalist Angela Rippon but was knocked out in the early stages.
The following year he was paired with British Olympic alpine ski racer Chemmy Alcott, who was the 11th contestant to be eliminated.
The couple enjoyed eight dances on the show, including one to Pilot’s Magic, with an average score of 20 out of 30.
- Joseph Gamp
Fans frustrated about voting
Fans were up in arms over a major misunderstanding about how to vote.
Viewers were left scrambling for their phones after realising too late that they could no longer use the Dancing On Ice app to cast their votes.
Many said by the time they discovered the system had changed the window of time to pick their favourite celeb had expired.
And they were left gutted for Loose Women star Ria Hebden, who won the least amount of votes and who now faces a skate off next week.
One person moaned: “If it was possible to get online to vote the result might have been different.”
- Joseph Gamp
Dancing on Ice’s Bez ‘could die’ if he falls over on the rink, says fiancee
DANCING On Ice star Bez's fiancée fears he "could die" on the show if he falls over.
The Happy Mondays star, 57, is the first contestant in the ITV skating competition to wear a protective helmet after taking a fall during rehearsals.
His wife-to-be Firouzeh Razavi, 35, admitted she’s worried about him, telling Daily Star: “When he told me he fell, I was like, ‘Oh no, that is not good at all’. I always say, ‘Whatever you do, protect your head. You can’t fall on your head because you could die’.
“I don’t want to attract negative energy… we’re a lucky couple.”
- Louis Allwood
How to get tickets for Dancing on Ice
SRO audiences, the company that usually allocates audience tickets, say on their website: “we try to be as fair as we can about issuing the tickets. Successful applicants are randomly selected from amongst those who apply. We aim to email tickets to the successful applicants as quickly as possible.”
The website states that there are three types of tickets: Production tickets (allocated by the production company to friends & family of the team), Priority tickets (to people who have a priority note to use from SRO) and Regular tickets.
Go here for further details and to fill out the application for a chance to gain tickets for the live show.
- Louis Allwood
Bez ‘could die’ if he falls over on the rink warns his fiancee
The Happy Mondays star, 57, is the first contestant in the ITV skating competition to wear a protective helmet after taking a fall during rehearsals.
His wife-to-be Firouzeh Razavi, 35, admitted she’s worried about him, telling Daily Star: “When he told me he fell, I was like, ‘Oh no, that is not good at all’. I always say, ‘Whatever you do, protect your head. You can’t fall on your head because you could die’.
“I don’t want to attract negative energy… we’re a lucky couple.”
Speaking prior to the going on the rink, Bez admitted his skills on the ice are very limited, but said he won't be pushing himself too hard because he doesn't want to get injured ahead of his wedding to Firouzeh.
He said: “When I first started [skating], I had double vision, I was seeing two ice rinks. The worst thing was trying to put food in my mouth, I kept missing it!”
“On Friday, in rehearsals, I kept falling over. I was so nervous. Don’t worry, though – I’m not going to kill myself. I’m getting married so I can’t take any risks.”
- Louis Allwood
Explained: Jayne Torvill
She is best known as one half of Britain’s gold medallist skating duo.
She has been skating since she was just eight-years-old and has gone on to become British National Pairs Champion at 14-years-old.
In 1975, her skate partner Christopher Dean and herself chose to give up their day jobs to pursue a career of ice skating.
The pair entered the 1984 Winter Olympic Games where they made history after receiving 12 perfect 6.0 scores which was watched by 24 millions people in the UK.
Since 2006, the pair have starred on Dancing on Ice where they recreate versions of their iconic Bolero routine for every final of the series.
Torvill currently lives in East Sussex with her husband Phil Christensen and their adopted children Kieran and Jessica.
- Louis Allwood
Who topped this weeks leader board?
Brendan Cole and Kimberly Wyatt have topped the Dancing On Ice leaderboard while Happy Mondays dancer Bez finished at the bottom after descending to the rink on giant maracas.
The new series of Dancing On Ice got under way, with six of the competition’s 12 couples making their debut on the ITV skating competition on Sunday night.
Opening the ITV programme, co-host Phillip Schofield, 59, said: “Welcome to the greatest show on ice, it is so good to have an audience back.”
The expert judging panel includes former Olympic ice dancing champions Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean, alongside Diversity choreographer Ashley Banjo and professional dancer Oti Mabuse, who is the newest addition.
After all the celebrities had performed, it was revealed that broadcaster Ria Hebden will be returning next week to battle it out in the skate-off.
- Louis Allwood
Who is Sally Dynevor?
Sally Dynevor, 58, is a British actress from Lancashire.
She trained at the Oldham Repertory Theatre and then the Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts.
Sally is of course best known for playing the role of Sally Webster in Coronation Street.
However, back in 1985 she appeared in an episode of the television series Juliet Bravo in which she played Wendy Cunningham – a schoolgirl who becomes a heroin addict.
- Louis Allwood
Regan Gascoigne new fave
Betfair spokesperson Sam Rosbottom said: “Brendan Cole has been replaced as the favourite to win this series of Dancing On Ice following the opening show, with Regan Gascoigne the new 11/4 favourite to take the top prize.
"Cole is now 3/1 to win the show after securing the highest score in week one, while Kimberly Wyatt has shortened to 10/3 from 7/1 after an impressive first performance."
“Bez was the 33/1 rank outsider before anyone stepped foot on the ice but has had his odds slashed to 22/1 after proving popular despite picking up the lowest score of the week.”
- Brendan Cole has been replaced as the favourite to win the show
- Regan Gascoigne is the new 11/4 favourite following the first week
- Bez was a rank outsider, but is now 22/1 to win having previously been 33/1
Brendan Cole defended by judge
Brendan, who was a pro on Strictly Come Dancing for 15 years, topped the leader board last night alongside his partner Vanessa Bauer sparking a backlash from fans.
But Ashley has insisted his dance background wouldn’t be an advantage to him.
Speaking on today’s Good Morning Britain, Diversity star Ashley said: “He was flying over that ice and a lot of people say ‘he’s a dancer, he’s a pro’.
“Listen, I am a dancer and I am a pro and there is no way I would be able to come out and do what Brendan did that well. The way he translated his skills is amazing.”
Pro dancer Brendan was the first celebrity to take to the ice when the new series returned last night, scoring a huge 30.5 with “serial finalist” skating partner Vanessa Bauer.
Sam Attwater unrecognisable with huge bushy beard 10yrs after winning
The popular actor, then 25, was also the first star to get together with his pro skater on the show, marrying Vicky Ogden in 2014.
These days he's swapped the ice for the stage, appearing in a string of major West End shows.
And, now 35 and dad to two daughters, the actor looks very different with a big bushy beard.
EastEnders viewers will know Sam best as Leon Small, Peter Beale's buddy and his sister Lucy's love interest, from when he appeared in 2010.
The star, who also appeared in the short-lived E20 spin-off, went on to dominate Dancing On Ice the following year.
Bez reveals he wears padding all over
The musician became famous as the Happy Mondays dancer and percussionist where he danced on stage with the instrument.
Wearing a custom watermelon helmet, Bez shimmied and twisted his way around the ice with a big smile on his face.
His simple routine earned him the lowest scores of the night, a total of 12.5 but Bez was happy with the result.
"I thought it would have been much lower than that," he admitted to hosts Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield.
Bez also revealed he was wearing padding all over his body, including a back brace after taking multiple tumbles in training.
'I’m the worst skater that’s ever been on Dancing On Ice'
The Happy Mondays legend, Bez, made his debut on the ice at the weekend and took to Instagram to thank his fans for their support so far with a new video.
In the clip Bez – shaking his trademark maracas – said: "I can't believe it, I got through to another round of Dancing on Ice!
"How lucky am I? Well I'll tell you how lucky I am, I've got you lot all out there giving me that support and got me through to fight for another day.
"I can't thank you enough. I'm so happy, and I'm actually really laughing because I find it really funny. I was actually the worst skater you've ever seen on Dancing on Ice.
"I feel so sorry for Ria [Hebden]. She skated so beautifully and she's in the dance off. And I said if I could swap places with her I would because I don't think it's fair."
- Louis Allwood
Reaction from dancers after first show
Coronation Street actress Sally Dynevor and her skating partner Matt Evers found themselves in the bottom two, but they received more votes than Ria and were saved from the upcoming skate-off.
Meanwhile, Happy Mondays dancer Bez was the first celeb announced as having made it through to movie week, winning just 12.5 points out of a possible 40.
The music legend said about his score: "It's more than I thought I was gonna get."
Bez entered the rink wearing full on protective gear, with show host Phillip Schofield later revealing he was the first contestant to ever need a helmet on the ice.
Bez also confirmed: "I've got everything. Elbow pads, knee pads, back brace, and most important of all … protecting me old marakas."
- Louis Allwood
Fans frustrated about voting
Fans were up in arms over a major misunderstanding about how to vote.
Viewers were left scrambling for their phones after realising too late that they could no longer use the Dancing On Ice app to cast their votes.
Many said by the time they discovered the system had changed the window of time to pick their favourite celeb had expired.
And they were left gutted for Loose Women star Ria Hebden, who won the least amount of votes and who now faces a skate off next week.
One person moaned: "If it was possible to get online to vote the result might have been different."
- Louis Allwood
Does the winner of Dancing On Ice get more money?
Unlike Strictly, where all the celebrities taking part get the same wage until they progress further in the competition, Dancing On Ice contestants can demand different fees.
Because of this, they don't get any more money if they win the show.
On Strictly, the winner takes home £100,000 – but this is the most money they can get for taking part in the show.
On Dancing On Ice, celebrity fees range from £20,000 to £100,000.
However, the highest paid star in DOI history was Baywatch star Pamela Anderson, who got £150,000 in 2013.
- Louis Allwood
Is there a prize for the winner of Dancing on Ice?
There is no cash prize for winning Dancing On Ice.
However, the winner does take home a HUGE trophy, which is awarded to them by hosts Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield.
They also get the honour of saying they won the show.
Also, as often is the case, the winning celebrity lands TV deals after being crowned champion.
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