Melody Thornton and her pro partner Alex Demetriou have survived to skate another week on Dancing On Ice.
It wasn’t the greatest night on the rink for the Pussycat Doll, with the judges nearly all agreeing her performance was not as strong as fans have come to expect from her.
But despite having an off week, Melody still made it through the double elimination stage, with Corrie star Jane Danson and cricketer Ryan Sidebottom falling by the wayside.
And in a demonstration that a week can be a long time in skating politics, part of the audience took aim at Melody’s success to suggest the result was rigged in favour – just days after it was claimed she was the victim of flawed scoring from the judges herself.
Read more: Gemma Collins to land her own reality TV show
Despite judges Jason Gardiner, Ashley Banjo and Christopher Dean – as well as head judge Jayne Torvill, even though her vote was not required – all picking Melody to be saved, some viewers on social media smelled a rat.
Apparently, these disgruntled fans felt Melody – whose fellow Pussycat Doll and Strictly star Ashley Roberts was in the audience to support her pal, along with boyfriend Giovanni Pernice – did not show off her individual skating skills enough to merit her progression in the competition.
According to these critics, Melody was supported by Alex ‘too much’, with suggestions she was ‘holding on’ to her partner and even removed from being in contact with the ice for too long when lifted. Eliminated Jane was also hit with similar accusations.
“Melody really didn’t deserve to stay. Lift after lift and she did no solo skating. Clearly not based on skate-off alone and more about who the judges prefer, what a fix,” claimed one fan.
Read more: DOI star James Jordan screams in agony during brutal physio session
“Only Ryan did any solo dancing in that skate off! FIX!” raged another.
A third added: “Big Fix. Melody and Jane did zero skating.”
More suspicious telly watchers agreed, saying the skate off featured very little skating.
“So they put through a couple where the girl spent most of the time in the air or in a hold. Don’t know why they call it skate off. Fix off more like it,” insisted one.
Another concurred: “In the so called skate off, where they are supposed to be judged on just the skate off performance, how can someone who hardly skated actually get through? Fix?”
Do you agree? Or did the right person go through?
– Dancing On Ice airs on Sundays on ITV at 6pm
Leave us a comment on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix and let us know what you think of this story.