Dancing on Ice Live review - The Final Tour 2014

I was lucky enough to be invited not only to the opening show of the Dancing on Ice Live Tour this week in Manchester, but also to the red carpet after party event, where I was able to meet and interview most of the celebrity skaters, their professional partners, and even the ice dance king and queen themselves, Torvill and Dean. 

As a journalist in my "real life" this was a great opportunity, but as a skater, it was a REALLY, REALLY GREAT opportunity.

I'm going to bring you my interviews and comments in a separate post, as this one will be pretty lengthy anyway once I've included pictures etc, so this post will be purely a review of the show, but I will leave you with this exciting news:
We have not seen the last of Torvill and Dean. They have plans.

So, on with the review: 

There was no doubt in my mind that this year’s Dancing on Ice Live Tour would be something entirely different to any of its predecessors, and how right I was.

In the final tour to end a nine-year-long TV series, the skating stars explode onto their stage of ice in a whirlwind of colour, music and excitement, beginning the night with a spectacular light show in the darkened arena.

Nb. Stills do not do this justice. It has to be seen.

It’s a high-energy show from start to end and a true celebration of not only the popular TV series, but also of Olympic ice dance royalty Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean, who are skating their world-famous Bolero for the final time throughout the tour.

The whole thing is somewhat bittersweet - as we all know, it's the final tour, the show has now come to an end - and it's incredibly sad to see it go. Even as skaters, I think we all appreciate the show for what it is and enjoy the entertainment it brings. The tour, of course, also gives us the opportunity to watch the professional skaters do their thing.

The first half of the show loosely follows the TV show’s format, with each of the celebrity skaters and their professional partners showcasing their skills on their blades, before going in front of the judging panel - Karen Barber, Nicky Slater and Robin Cousins - for their scores and comments.

With so many of Dancing on Ice’s past winners, runners-up, and favourites, including Hayley Tamaddon, Suzanne Shaw, Ray Quinn and Bonnie Langford, taking to the ice, the show sparkles with talent in abundance. Most of these people have skated for a few years now and are actually fairly accomplished skaters, particularly in comparison with previous years. There's none of the wobble you might be used to - and many of these celebrities seem to have flourished further now that they have a bigger ice pad.

Above: Bonnie Langford and Andrei Lipanov skate to Devil Gate Drive before
waiting for the judges' comments, below.

Suzanne Shaw and Matt Evers skating a sultry and stunning Black Velvet

Kyran Bracken and Nina Ulanova

Beth Tweddle and Lukasz Rozycki take on Scottish-style dancing

Gareth Gates

Showgirl Hayley Tamaddon

Two-time champion Ray Quinn with Maria Fillppov

But there are a few surprises too, particularly in the second half which creates laughs aplenty thanks to comedian Joe Pasquale – and just watch for a hilarious twist which will had the audience laughing until they cried at the opening show.

And he’s actually a better skater than you might think. Here's something of what you can expect:

The big difference in this year’s live show, compared with previous years, is the atmosphere which pervades the arena – it’s clear everyone involved is really out to celebrate the show’s success – and it translates onto the judging panel, who this year appear to be having more real, less scripted, fun, and also to Torvill and Dean, whose presenting skills - usually the job of silver fox Philip Schofield and sidekick Christine Bleakley on the TV version - have now blossomed, where they've seemed a little out of their comfort zone in the past.

And topping off the show are some breathtaking numbers from the professional skaters themselves.

Andy Buchanan and Robin Johnstone

Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean

The girls don their feathers for a stunning skate
to Evanecsence hit Bring Me To Life

What can I say....I'd be very surprised if you didn't know what
this finale was all about.

If you haven't already got tickets, I suggest you hunt some down. It's the final chance, and, seriously, it is  NOT one to miss. 

For details of tour dates and venues, visit www.dancingonicetour.co.uk/tickets.html

And just in case you need any extra convincing, take a look at some of the highlights: