We get it, it probably feels a little bit early to be speculating about which celebs have signed up for the next series of Dancing On Ice, given the whole thing doesn’t actually launch until next year.
But because so much training goes into each series, the stars actually start getting their skates on months in advance, the first announcements about the 2024 line-up have already begun.
Of course, the celebrities taking part aren’t the only question mark over next year’s series.
Following Phillip Schofield’s resignation from ITV earlier this year, Holly Willoughby is in need of a new presenter, with Stephen Mulhern reportedly the favourite for the job (Jane McDonald has also been rumoured, as have Rochelle and Marvin Humes).
So, as we await news on next year’s series, here are all the celebs who are rumoured to be taking part…
So far, 2023 has been a big one for former Brookside star Claire Sweeney, after lending her voice to the BBC’s coverage of Eurovision in her hometown of Liverpool, and making her long-awaited debut in Coronation Street.
Claire now looks set to take on another exciting venture following reports in The Sun that she will be competing on the ice. The soap veteran has previously appeared on the inaugural seasons of both Celebrity Big Brother and Strictly Come Dancing.
Stephen Webb
Stephen Webb was one of the original stars of Gogglebox when it launched a decade ago, and remained with the show Channel 4 show throughout its first 23 series.
Just before the latest season launched in September, Channel 4 announced that he had “decided that now is the right time to explore life beyond the sofa and leave the show”, and it didn’t take long before he was rumoured for Dancing On Ice.
Less than two weeks after his exit was confirmed, The Sun claimed that Stephen had “swapped his sofa for skates” and signed up for the ITV reality show.
Shona McGarty
Shona will be most well-known to British soap fans for her performance as Whitney Dean in EastEnders, a role she has held from 2007.
In the summer of 2023, it was announced she was stepping down from the soap, around the time rumours first claimed she’d be competing in the Dancing On Ice rink next year.
Tessa Sanderson
Tessa made history in the 1980s when she became the first Black British woman to win an Olympic medal, scooping gold in the Javelin.
She has actually competed on Dancing On Ice once before, appearing in a one-off Olympians special over a decade ago.
Sharon Marshall
Former journalist and TV writer Sharon Marshall is now most recognisable for her work on This Morning, where she serves as the show’s resident soap expert.
She and Tess Sanders were both mentioned as potential contestants in The Sun’s initial report about Shona McGarthy reportedly signing up for Dancing On Ice.
Jesy Nelson
The former Little Mix star went solo in 2020, and while her debut hit Boyz peaked at number four, the release was also shrouded in a whole lot of controversy, namely around accusations of “Blackfishing”.
In July, The Sun quoted an unnamed “source” who claimed that Jesy was “firmly at the top” of producers’ “wish list” and that they’d “do anything to make it happen”.
According to the tabloid, Jesy also took the rest of 2023 off following the release of her single Bad Thing, “meaning she could come back with a bang in January when the next series kicks off”.
Louis Smith
During last year’s series of Dancing On Ice, presenters Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield took a moment to speak to Louis Smith after spotting him in the studio audience.
When Phillip pointed out that Louis had already won both Strictly Come Dancing and The Masked Dancer, suggesting there was “an ice rink with your name on it”.
Louis responded: “I’ve got too many cobwebs to be honest with you. I’m a bit out of action. But give me three months…”
“Oh we’ll give you more than that!” the host then replied, commenting: “We’ll all speak later.”
Dancing On Ice returns for its 16th season in January 2024.