Ashley Banjo will miss the latest episodes of Dancing On Ice.
The dance and choreography star will not be on the panel of the latest episode due to scheduling commitments with the Diversity tour.
Taking Ashley’s place on the judges line up will be American figure skater Johnny Weir.
Johnny Weir is a renowned American figure skater, known for his artistic prowess on the ice, having secured three U.S. National Championships and represented the United States in two Winter Olympics (2006 and 2010).
Beyond the rink, he has carved out a niche as a television commentator and fashion icon, celebrated for his insightful and entertaining figure skating commentary alongside Tara Lipinski, and his distinctive, bold fashion choices.
Johnny said: I am so excited to join the panel simply because I love my sport – I love figure skating. Dancing on Ice has done such a brilliant job over the years of promoting my sport and showing people what the inside of our world looks like, and how much personal freedom you can find on the ice.
“It’s given so many famous people over the years the opportunity to express something in themselves that maybe they can’t in their day jobs. It’s an amazing opportunity for me to bring my love from America over to an audience that has been supportive of our sport over the years and I think any attention that figure skating can get around the world is wonderful – it helps to expand our world.”
He continued: “It’s the biggest honour to be the American that is invited to be on the show. I’m a big lover of the UK, I watch mainly British programming and will rewatch things – Ab Fab is a mainstay for me.
“To sit next to Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean is a huge honour. I was born in 1984, the year they won the Olympics, and even though I was a baby their names are known all over America and they’re legendary. For someone like me to sit at the same table as such legendary skaters is always a big honour. Pure excitement!”
And Johnny says he’s been keeping an eye on this year’s cast.
He shared: “Amber is definitely killing it on the ice and I think it’s a long time since a woman has won – she has a lot of great qualities that could take her to the top of the competition. Greg has that athletic background that lends itself well to the ice – he’s fearless. I think he did a jump week one.
“Miles is taking this very seriously. Walking around I can see how seriously the celebrities are taking this series and that shows in the performances. Everyone is working for this.”
Hosts Holly Willoughby and Stephen Mulhern will be back on the rink this Sunday evening for Dancing On Ice’s personal week.
The remaining skaters will perform there will be a another elimination as one more celeb is sent home.
Dancing On Ice airs Sunday at 6:25PM on ITV1 and ITVX.
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