We’re only two episodes into the 2022 series of Dancing On Ice, and a celebrity has already been voted off and sent home – Ben Foden.
Last night’s episode (Sunday, January 23) saw rugby player Ben leave the show.
However, some viewers are insisting that it should have been Ria Hebden who left in his place.
Who left Dancing On Ice last night?
Last night’s Dancing On Ice saw the first celebrity of the series exit the show after being voted off by the judges.
Rugby star Ben and his pro skater partner, Robin Johnstone, performed to the tune of Livin’ La Vida Loca, however, they only managed to pick up 23 points.
They were then placed in the skate-off against last week’s contestants, Ria and her partner, Łukasz Różycki.
It was Ria and Łukasz who impressed the judges the most during a tense skate-off, and they ended up saving the pair – at the expense of Ben and Robin.
Read more: Dancing On Ice contestants 2022: All the stars taking part in this year’s series
When asked if he’d enjoyed his time on the show, Ben said: “I really have yeah. Like I was saying before, this woman [Robin] is incredible, and it’s about the people who make this experience.”
Ben then went on to say that the standard of competition this year is very high.
“Obviously I thought there would be somebody who couldn’t skate and it turns out it was me,” he laughed.
How did Dancing On Ice 2022 viewers react?
Some viewers were fuming that Ria was saved while Ben was sent home. Many found it ‘unfair’ that the 39-year-old star of Lorraine had had an extra week to prepare for her skate-off, while Ben had minutes.
Plenty took to Twitter to complain.
“#dancingonice results unfair. Ria had a week to work on the feedback she received last week but Ben didn’t get the same opportunity to work on his feedback. Not an even playing field. And as for Bez last week…. what can I say. Outrageous he wasn’t in the skate off,” one said.
“Ria had a week to practice only that routine. Ben was learning 2 routines. Ben should have gone through,” a third wrote.
“Love Ria, but Bez should have been in skate off. It’s a bit unfair also that Ria had a week to prepare and Ben had 5 minutes,” another said.
Another tweeted, “Can’t understand the skate off definitely wrong person went,” while another agreed: “Wrong decision won’t be watching any more.”
One added: “Format needs changing. Wrong couple went tonight. Unfair advantage.”
However, others felt it was the right decision for Ben to go and Ria to stay.
One said: “The right decision. Ben was imitating an ironing board being dragged on ice.”
Another wrote: “Ria shows far more potential to improve than Ben.”
Bad week for Ben
Ben’s exit from the show comes just days after he was forced to set the story straight regarding comments he’d made about fellow contestant Rachel Stevens.
During an interview prior to making his debut on the show last night, Ben called Rachel the “world’s sexiest woman“.
Plenty of stories were printed about the rugby star’s cheeky comment, and eventually Ben had enough. He took to Instagram on Thursday (January 20) to explain himself.
Read more: Dancing On Ice contestants: Why did Ben Foden split from ex-wife Una?
Ben, 36, explained his comment had been in reference to something a journalist had mentioned earlier in the day about Rachel having been voted FHM’s sexiest woman of all time in 2014.
He said the headlines had turned his comment into something “it absolutely is not”.
Dancing On Ice returns Sunday, January 30 at 6pm on ITV and ITV Hub.
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