Matt Richardson has been eliminated from Dancing On Ice after just a single week on the show.
The comedian, who was partnered with professional skater Vicky Ogden, made his competitive debut replacing fellow stand-up Rufus Hound, who dropped out after catching Covid-19.
But he failed to impress the judges and languished at the bottom of the leaderboard with 23.5 points out of a possible 40.
It's farewell to @MattRichardson3 and @vickyogden1 tonight! It may have been brief, but it's been fabulous 👏 #DancingOnIce pic.twitter.com/t4g7VZo3sY
— Dancing on Ice (@dancingonice) February 7, 2021
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He faced Olympian Colin Jackson in the skate-off but the judging panel chose in the sportsman’s favour.
Jackson will compete in next week’s Valentine’s Day-themed contest.
After being eliminated, Richardson said: “I am quite relieved. This is the most horrifying and terrifying and fear-inducing thing I have ever done.
“The whole experience has been amazing. Training to skate, being a stand-in was amazing because everyone was doing the TV bit, I didn’t have to do any of that. I was very happy.
“But it has been great. Vicky has been phenomenal. I have loved skating with her.”
He went home during dance week, in which the celebrity contestants performed a range of routines inspired by the paso doble, can can, ballet and more.
Coronation Street’s Faye Brookes, Emmerdale’s Joe-Warren Plant and rapper Lady Leshurr jointly topped the leaderboard with 32.5 each.
Here's how your Dance Week leaderboard is looking. Who smashed it for you tonight? #DancingOnIce pic.twitter.com/jVbYnLGyNv
— Dancing on Ice (@dancingonice) February 7, 2021
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Billie Shepherd’s professional partner Mark Hanretty also offered an update after the reality TV personality dropped out of the competition following a fall.
The former The Only Way Is Essex star suffered moderate concussion after hitting her head while rehearsing.
Contestants are only permitted one week’s bye and Shepherd had already missed last week due to a family bereavement.
Hanretty said: “On Friday night we had a good week of training, really happy and positive training. We said let’s just do one more run through and of course that was the run through.”
On her recovery, he said: “She is as well as can be expected. My sadness is just that she was such a lovely lady, such a good human and she has just had some really rough luck at the moment.”
Sound advice from one skater to another 😆 @RufusHound @MattRichardson3 #DancingOnIce pic.twitter.com/ZkrFlVVSwA
— Dancing on Ice (@dancingonice) February 7, 2021
Three stars – including Hound and Shepherd – have had to withdraw from the competition so far this series.
Earlier in the series, Denise Van Outen, 46, had to quit the show after partially dislocating her shoulder during training.
The presenter and actress fell during rehearsals for the series launch and made her debut on the ice with her shoulder strapped up.
