Ben Hanlin has been booted from ‘Dancing on Ice’.
The 33-year-old magician has narrowly missed out on a place in the final of the ITV ice dancing competition, as he and his partner Carlotta Edwards were dumped from the competition on Sunday (01.03.20).
Ben and Carlotta faced the dreaded skate-off against Paralympian Libby Clegg and her partner Mark Hamretti, and the judging panel – Ashley Banjo, John Barrowman, Jayne Torvill, and Christopher Dean – ultimately voted to save Libby.
Ahead of the skate-off, Libby confessed she wasn’t disappointed to be performing her special routine – which marked her third week in the bottom two – because she had a "surprise" planned, which turned out to be the risky headbanger move.
The move involves the male skater spinning the female skater by her feet, whilst raising and lowering her so her head moves dangerously close to the ice.
Ben was the lowest scorer of the evening before the public vote, as he scored 37.5 for his first routine – which saw him complete the judges challenge of a 45-second solo skate – and 37.0 for his second, personal skate, which was danced to ‘Lightning Bolt’ by Jake Bugg in honour of his wife.
Libby, meanwhile, topped the leaderboard after the first routine, after judges were left amazed at her ability to skate solo despite suffering from Stargardt’s Macular Dystrophy – a disease which gives her only slight peripheral vision in her left eye – and being registered blind.
The result of the skate off means Libby and Mark will join Perri Kiely and Vanessa Bauer, and Joe Swash and Alex Murphy in the live final, which will take place next Sunday (08.03.20) at 6pm on ITV.
Ben Hanlin booted from Dancing on Ice
