Dancing On Ice runner-up Wes Nelson has stuck up for James Jordan, after some viewers suggested he was not a deserving winner.
On Sunday night, Wes just missed out on being crowned this year’s Dancing On Ice winner, after the public chose to give the title to James instead.
However, with James already coming from a dance background, and having served as a professional on Strictly Come Dancing for many years, some have questioned whether he should have been allowed to win the show.
Speaking on Loose Women the day after this year’s final, Wes insisted: “It’s not fair that he’s getting stick. He has come so far on the show.”
Wes added: “I saw James on the ice and I can tell you, the ice is a leveller. It’s a complete leveller.
“He may have been a dancer on the floor in Strictly, but he’s not an ice skater. Figure-skating is a completely different sport and he’s done so, so well.”
James served as a professional dancer for eight series of Strictly, until he departed in 2014, later claiming he’d been sacked due to a series of comments about the show.
A year later, he finished in second place on Celebrity Big Brother, before returning to the house in 2017 for an All Stars series.
His Dancing On Ice win was particularly impressive, as he injured his shoulder during training just days before the final, which he admitted had affected his performance, costing him a perfect score during his first routine.
When he was first announced for the show last year, James anticipated people might have something to say about his dance experience, noting at the time: “I can dance but I’m a lot older than I used to be.
“People are going to probably say I’ve got an unfair advantage but when I got on the ice I actually shocked myself how bad I was. I want to be able to impress Torvill and Dean more than anyone else, but I’m a lot worse than I thought I’d be.”
Loose Women airs weekdays from 12.30pm on ITV.