Ratings: Dancing On Ice returns with lowest ever launch Show viewing figures

January 15, 2024

Last night’s much hyped return for Dancing On Ice failed to pull in viewers with just 3.4million watching. That’s the lowest ever number for a DOI launch show. In contrast, the 2023 launch had 4.1million people tuning in.

The figure is a far cry from the 6.6million who tuned in for the series launch in 2019. In comparison to other shows which aired this weekend, Gladiators was watched by a massive 6.4million on BBC One and Michael McIntyre’s Big Show was enjoyed by 5.2million.

But ITV suffered all weekend with just 3.7million watching The Masked Singer.

ITV had probably been hoping for bumper ratings last night, as Holly Willoughby returned to TV screens after sensationally quitting ITV’s flagship magazine show This Morning. DOI reunited her with Stephen Mulhern, with whom she presented Saturday morning TV with in the early naughties.

Social media was awash with negative comments from viewers who, it seems, had hoped for a total refresh of presenters on Dancing On Ice.

In comparison, viewers absolutely loved BBC One’s reboot of Gladiators, which looks set to film a second series this Summer.

In these difficult times for commercial broadcasters, ITV will be hoping Love Island: All Stars, a replacement for the reality show’s annual winter series fares better when it launches tonight across ITV1 and ITVX.

The show will be followed by Celebrity Big Brother which begins in March.