Dancing On Ice judge Jason Gardiner issues a warning to the celebrities

Dancing On Ice is back next weekend on ITV and returning judge Jason Gardiner has a warning for the celebrities.

Dancing On Ice will be making a comeback, as legendary skating duo Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean will be reunited with original hosts Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby.

Torvill and Dean will both sit on a revamped ice panel alongside the formidable Jason Gardiner and choreographer extraordinare Ashley Banjo.

Jason regularly made headlines for his brutal put downs in past series, and he’s warned this year’s celebs nothing will change with the new show.

He said: “It’s how I am. I am not there to sugar coat anything. I am there to be a judge.

“I know I get tarred with the ‘Mr Nasty’ judge on this show but there always has to be a Mr Nasty – I get it. What I find interesting is many members of the public tell me that they like the fact I am straight down the middle and I keep it real. The celebrities who make it to the end say thank you to me. I feel really honoured they do. They work so hard and it is not an easy show to do.

“They come up to me and say ‘love or hate you, your comments, however hard they have been, have really motivated me to do better’. That is lovely. I am not there to state the obvious. What I am there to do is say how they can be better.

“People may have exception with the way I do that but there is a method to my meanness. I am a pussycat compared to half the people who trained me! Tough love does drive you to be better. It makes or breaks you. Some of them can take the criticism and improve whilst others get freaked out and crushed by it. Therefore it is goodbye to them. ”

Speaking ahead of next weekend’s first live show, Jason continued: “I am telling the truth. If they are clever and they don’t let their egos get in the way, they will see what I am saying is actually going to help and not destroy them. I am fair. If you look at the history of the show, I always have kept it real.

“If someone really moves me then I will tell them they have done an amazing job. I will give the credit when they deserve it. But I am not going to sit there on week two and say ‘it’s great you are trying’.

“I am not there to judge whether they are trying because everybody is trying. It is whether or not they are delivering. I am very impartial and I don’t have favourites.”

Dancing On Ice 2018 begins on Sunday, January 7 on ITV.