British television is one of the most colorful, surprising and versatile in the whole planet. It is full of shows, soap operas, talent, skills and singing contests, many of which have earned critical acclaim over the years.
One of those shows is Dancing on Ice, which involves a figure skating – dancing contest in which a celebrity takes part of a routine with a professional ice skater, and they will be judged based on their performance in a scale ranging from 1 to 10.
A mainstay in British TV
This British show was presented by several hosts in its existence, including Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby (2006 – 2011,) and Christina Bleakley, from 2012 to 2014. ITV broadcasted the first period of Dancing on Ice, divided in several series or seasons, which went from 2006 until 2014 when the channel decided not to renew their broadcasting rights.
However, Dancing on Ice fans in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland received good news in September 2017, when producers and developers announced that the show would revive and air a new series from January to March. Schofield and Willoughby, the original hosts, would return to their positions, with the addition of Jordan Banjo.
Partnership with ITV, cancellation, and revival
The show was successful from the very beginning, adding new fans each week. Schofield and Willoughby gave it a fresh air, and the performances of artists and skaters both entertained and took the breath away from fans all over the United Kingdom.
ITV, a notable British channel, has served as the platform in which Dancing on Ice was created and popularized. Spin-offs, like Dancing on Ice Defrosted and Dancing on Ice Exclusive, were produced, and the show’s ratings went through the roof.
However, after months of rumors and whispers of the show cancellation, it finally happened in 2014: the ninth season would be the final, and Dancing on Ice’s contract would not be renewed by ITV.
It wasn’t until the second half of 2017 that it was announced to the fans that Dancing on Ice would return, and is now stronger than ever. ITV’s television signal and online streaming page broadcast every episode of this popular and entertaining program.
Contest format: an exciting blend of experts and public opinion
The show is broadcasted weekly. The primary attractions are the live ice skating routines performed by the celebrities and their partners. Artist such as Gaynor Faye, Ray Quinn, Hayley Tamaddon, Beth Tweddle, and Sam Attwater have taken part in the contest throughout history.
A panel of five judges, which are commonly referred to as the Ice Panel, are the responsible entities for evaluating the performance of the participants, on a scale of one to ten. In the first five series, the maximum score was six.
The cumulative totals will go to a leaderboard, which will track the progress of the contestants throughout the life of the series. The catch is that the judges’ totals are combined with the scores from the audience.
The couples will fight to avoid being in the lowest two scored participants. However, if the audience votes for any of the judges’ lowest two, they will avoid elimination. A Skate Off follows, and the couple who receives the least votes will abandon the show. As per the rules, one couple leaves the show every week until there is a winning tandem.
‘Dancing on Ice’ past winners
| Series | Start | Finish | Winning celebrity | Winning professional |
| 1 | 14 January 2006 | 4 March 2006 | Gaynor Faye | Daniel Whiston |
| 2 | 20 January 2007 | 17 March 2007 | Kyran Bracken | Melanie Lambert |
| 3 | 13 January 2008 | 16 March 2008 | Suzanne Shaw | Matt Evers |
| 4 | 11 January 2009 | 22 March 2009 | Ray Quinn | Maria Filippov |
| 5 | 10 January 2010 | 28 March 2010 | Hayley Tamaddon | Daniel Whiston |
| 6 | 9 January 2011 | 27 March 2011 | Sam Attwater | Brianne Delcourt |
| 7 | 8 January 2012 | 25 March 2012 | Matthew Wolfenden | Nina Ulanova |
| 8 | 6 January 2013 | 10 March 2013 | Beth Tweddle | Daniel Whiston |
| 9 | 5 January 2014 | 9 March 2014 | Ray Quinn | Maria Filippov |
| 10 | 7 January 2018 | 11 March 2018 | ? | ? |
Watch Dancing on Ice abroad with a VPN
Since Dancing on Ice is broadcasted by ITV, which is a British channel, international viewers cannot access the streaming signal under normal circumstances. This is due to geographical and licensing issues, as is the usual procedure.
However, Dancing on Ice has earned the respect and fandom of many people outside the British borders. How can these fans enjoy the best moments of the tenth season live online while being abroad?
The answer is simple: they should hire a reliable VPN service. A VPN is a useful Internet tool that allows people to access blocked international content from anywhere, because it takes the user’s IP address, which is the most notable way to recognize someone’s connection details (including geographical area,) and hides it, replacing it with a new one which the client will select at its convenience.
For example, imagine you are in China, Canada, Japan, Germany or Ecuador; and you really enjoy watching the British celebrities and ice skating professionals give their best on the frozen platform. You could hire a trustworthy VPN provider and spoof your real location connecting to a British server. The online streaming signal will become available instantly once you change your IP address to one from the UK.
Besides offering new horizons when it comes to online accessibility, VPNs implement encryption protocols to reroute your traffic through remote servers, where it will be protected against the advances of hackers trying to steal your valuable data, governmental agencies spying on you, your Internet service provider (ISP) selling your information around the net, and even big online companies showcasing ads based on your recently viewed sites.
How to watch Dancing on Ice abroad
The process is very straightforward. You need to select a VPN provider with servers in the United Kingdom, though. The steps to follow are:
- Find the perfect VPN match for you, after judging all factors: encryption, privacy policy, price, simultaneous connections available, servers and countries, among many others.
- Go to the website of your chosen VPN client.
- Register for the service, choosing the plan of your preference and providing personal information, an email account and a payment method.
- Download and install the VPN app or software in your mobile device or computer.
- Sign in, providing the credentials you entered in the third step.
- Choose a UK server.
- Connect to the server.
- Open the Dancing on Ice streaming service, which you can find here.
- Enjoy the best talent on ice!
Best VPN for watching Dancing on Ice from anywhere
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| Visit VPN Provider | Visit TorGuard | Visit PIA |
- TorGuard: The best all-around option, with OpenConnect SSL based VPN and all the other major protocols. It allows five connections at the same time, it has a top-notch customer service with a useful live chat feature, and it lets users enjoy content in 55 countries thanks to its perfectly-located 3,000 servers.
- IPVanish: Arguably the fastest VPN provider in the industry, IPVanish also provides excellent encryption and privacy, as it has a strict no-logging policy that is respected to the final consequences. It has numerous interesting features, such as a killswitch and a DNS leak protection.
- Private Internet Access (PIA): A very solid alternative to the top two choices, PIA makes sure the drop-off isn’t significantly felt. Its servers in the UK will let you watch Dancing on Ice while being abroad, and it offers one of the best price-value relations in the market.
- GhostVPN: A fairly new entry to the market, GhostVPN has 1,600 servers in 51 nations, one of them being the UK. People can also enjoy other offerings, such as AES 256 encryption, a stealth VPN, and a very handy 15-day money-back guarantee.
In conclusion, Dancing on Ice is one of the most popular British shows, and after a drought, it is back on track providing weekly entertainment for fans all over the world. However, people from abroad can’t enjoy the best episodes unless they have a VPN.
Fortunately, VPN is a very straightforward tool to find, install and use, and they are affordable as well. TorGuard is the premier option, but IPVanish, PIA, and GhostVPN are serious contenders for the top spot.
