Entertainment
Dancing On Ice 2022: Who are this year’s professional skaters? From Netflix star to reigning champion
Meet your pro skaters for Dancing On Ice 2022 (Picture: Rex/Shutterstock)
Dancing On Ice returns on Sunday night with a brand new set of celebrity hopefuls – but who are the professional skaters they’ll be partnered up with?
The ‘greatest show on ice’ sees 12 stars take to the ice as they try to impress the panel – and viewers watching at home – enough to make it through each week.
This year will also see some newbies elsewhere, with Oti Mabuse joining the judging panel as well as three new professional dancers.
Morgan Swales, Tippy Packard and Colin Grafton will take over as replacements for Hamish Gaman, Klabera Komini and Yebin Mok.
Here’s everything you need to know about the 2022 professional skater line-up.
Who are the new professionals for 2022?
Morgan Swales
Morgan is one of three newcomers on Dancing On Ice (Picture: ITV)
The 22-year-old competitive figure skater started ice-skating lessons aged nine after begging her mum to let her after tuning into Dancing On Ice.
She’s competed at both national and international competitions, finishing in the top 10 of the 2019 British championships, fifth place at the August 2021 British qualifiers competing in the 2021 British championships.
Some fans may recognise Morgan from the small screen already, having previously starred in the Netflix series Zero Chill.
Tippy Packard
Tippy will be paired with Kye White (Picture: ITV)
Tippy is a three-time Hong Kong National Champion and Worlds Competitor in figure skating, having hailed from Monterey Park in the US.
The newcomer, 26, started ice skating aged five and will be paired with Olympic BMX racer Kye Whyte, who was a silver medallist at the 2020 Tokyo games.
Colin Grafton
Colin Grafton won’t be paired with any celebrity this year (Picture: Getty)
Team USA pairs-skater Colin began skating aged seven, after reportedly being inspired to take up the sport after the 1998 Winter Olympics.
He is a US junior bronze medalist with his former skating partner Kylie Durate.
Fans won’t see Colin paired up with any of the 12 celebrities this year, but he will be taking part in routines performed during the show and will be on hand to step in, in case any male pros need to bow out from the competition.
Who are the returning professionals for 2022?
Łukasz Różycki
Łukasz has been a pro skater on and off since 2011 (Picture: ITV)
Łukasz, 42, is a Polish pair skater, having competed with skating partner Aneta Kowalska at the World Junior Championships and won a bronze medal at an ISU Junior Grand Prix event in 1999.
He is married to Finnish skater Alexandra Schauman, who is a long-running professional skater on the show.
Łukasz was eliminated first in both the 2020 and 2021 series’ with partners Trisha Goddard and Myleene Klass respectively so will be hoping to fare better in 2022.
Vanessa Bauer
Vanessa will be hoping to lift the trophy for a second time this year (Picture: ITV)
Vanessa, 25, is one of the series’ most successful pro dancers, having won the 2017 competition with Jake Quickenden and finished as runner-up in 2019 and 2020 with Wes Nelson and Joe Swash respectively.
The skater originally hailed from Germany and alongside partner Nolan Seegert, became the German national junior pairs’ champion at the 2013 German Figure Skating Championships.
Vanessa worked on Royal Caribbean Cruises as a performer after her competitive years came to an end, before moving to London in 2017 for Dancing On Ice.
She will be paired with early favourite Brendan Cole – but will she manage to lift the trophy again once more?
Andy Buchanan
Andy Buchanan will be dancing with Stef Reid this year (Picture: ITV)
Canadian pro skater Andy began figure skating at the age of seven and went on to become a seven times Western Canadian Champion.
He’s played various roles in productions of Disney on Ice, including Scar, Simba, Tarzan and Aladdin, with his partner Robin Johnstone as Jasmine.
He was paired with Anthea Turner in series eight, Zaraah Abrahams in series nine and Rebekah Vardy in series 13.
Robin Johnstone
Robin will dance with Ben Foden this year (Picture: ITV)
Canadian ice dancer Robin first appeared on Dancing On Ice in 2013 and 2014 and returned back to the show last year.
She was partnered with Rufus Hound in the 2021 series but they both had to withdraw after the comedian came in contact with someone who tested positive for Covid.
They were replaced by Matt Richardson and Vicky Ogden who made their debut in the competition in week four but left the same week.
Robin is married to fellow pro Andy, with the pair having met in 2000 while performing in Disney On Ice Presents Three Jungle Adventures.
Alexandra Schauman
Alexandra has won the programme twice (Picture: ITV)
Alexandra, 41, won the 2019 show with former Strictly professional James Jordan but had to withdraw when after sustaining an injury whilst skating with actor and TV host, Joe Swash – who went on to win in 2020.
The Finnish skater appears on the series alongside her husband Łukasz, who she has been married to for over 20 years.
The pair are both returning with celebrity partners for 2022, with Alexandra dancing with Happy Mondays’ percussionist Bez, while Łukasz will skate with TV presenter Ria Hebden.
Mark Hanretty
Mark will skate with Pussycat Dolls’ star Kimberley Wyatt (Credits: ITV)
Mark, 36, is a Scottish former competitive skater and two-time British medallist with partner Christina Chitwood, also competing at the 2009 European Championships, placing 18th and 2010 World Championships in Turin.
He first appeared on Dancing On Ice between 2011 and 2013, returning as a professional partner once again for series 10 in 2018.
He’s skated with stars including actress Donna Air, former Loose Women panellist Saira Khan and Paralympic sprinter Libby Clegg, with the latter making it to the final after becoming the first partially-sighted contestant to take part.
Mark also keeps himself busy by acting as a commentator on Eurosports and as a choreographer for the Olympics.
Angela Egan
Angela Egan is the reigning champion (Picture: ITV)
Scottish pro skater Angela, 35, came onto our screens for the first time last year.
Before landing her role on Dancing On Ice, Angela was packing shelves for Amazon.
It came after the Covid pandemic led her to lose her role as part of the cast of Disney On Ice.
She won her debut series with Capital FM DJ Sonny Jay, but will she manage to retain her title for the second year in a row?
Brendyn Hatfield
Brendyn is back on Dancing On Ice for the third time (Picture: ITV)
Brendyn, 36, is back on the ice for the third time, following a successful run in 2021 with his partner Lady Leshurr, where the pair made it to the semi-finals, achieving the perfect score of 40.
Prior to his stint on Dancing on Ice, he was in Disney on Ice and Holiday on Ice, and away from skating, has also been a cinematographer and editor.
This year, the skating professional is paired up with former member of S Club 7 Rachel Stevens.
Matt Evers
Matt Evers has taken part in every series of Dancing On Ice so far (Picture: ITV)
American pair skater, model and actor Matt, 45, has competed in every single series of Dancing On Ice so far.
With his partner Heather Allebach, Evers won the Junior pairs title at the 1998 U.S. Championships. The following season, they competed at three senior international events, 1998 Skate Canada International, 1998 Cup of Russia and 1998 Nebelhorn Trophy.
Over the years, he’s been paired with stars such as Jorgie Porter, Denise Welch and Zoe Salmon.
He made history when he became part of the show’s first-ever same-sex partnership for the 2020 series, with Steps singer Ian ‘H’ Watkins.
Karina Manta
Karina is the youngest of the pro skaters on DOI (Picture: ITV)
Karina, 25, has skated with fellow Dancing On Ice pro, Joe Johnson, since 2013.
In 2019, she announced that she was stepping away from competitive figure skating, planning to move to Montreal with skating partner Joe to join Cirque du Soleil.
She’s spoken openly about her sexuality, coming out as bisexual in 2018, in a video accompanied by her girlfriend, which made her the first female figure skater competing on behalf of Team USA to come out.
The 2021 series was her first, where she danced with former Olympic skier, Graham Bell.
Joe Johnson.
Joe skater for the first time on Dancing On Ice in 2021, with Amy Tinker (Picture: ITV)
Joe, 27, began skating in 2003 and has been in a partnership with Karina since 2013.
He competed in Skate America, the US International Classic, US National Championships and the Midwestern Sectional Championships.
More: ITV
In 2021 he joined the ITV show for series 13 as a professional skater, where he was paired up with the gymnastic medalist Amy Tinkler.
Dancing On Ice begins on Sunday at 6.30pm on ITV.
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