Will Dancing on Ice 2025 Go to a Favourite Once Again?

by Roy Brindley, 21 October 2024

Dancing on Ice will complete British TV’s traditional winter celebrity show season in January. The ITV entertainment/talent series, now in its 17th year, is sure to attract a viewing audience of over three million. So, understandably, bookmakers want a slice of the action. Many have already begun to produce betting markets on the contest.

With a proven ability to dance, Chelsee Healey will surely outperform her 10/1 Dancing on Ice odds. ©ITV

Mollie Pearce, by far the youngest contestant in the show, has been installed as the early betting favourite. While Pearce’s age, amongst 11 rivals considerably older than her, will work in her favour, and favourites have an outstanding record in this competition, there is good reason to oppose the Traitors star.

Here, you can learn all you need to know about the 2025 edition of Dancing On Ice, including the format, judges, contestants and the latest betting on one of ITV’s most popular shows.

Who Are 2025s Dancing on Ice Contestants?

The celebrities announced for Dancing on Ice 2025 are:

Dancing on Ice 2025 Betting

William Hill Casino and Sportsbook are among the early-bird bookmakers offering prices on the outcome of Dancing on Ice 2025. Its odds compilers believe Mollie Pearce is the most likely winner. The 22-year-old, who shot to fame as a contestant (and runner-up) in the BBC’s The Traitors, is quoted on 4/1 odds.

Sam Aston, better known as Chesney in Coronation Street, follows closely in the betting. The 31-year-old is 9/2. Dan Edgar, a nine-year veteran of The Only Way Is Essex, ranks as the third favourite, priced at 11/2. The biggest outsider is 62-year-old Sir Steve Redgrave. The rowing legend, who won Olympic gold at every Games from 1984 until 2000, is 25/1.

Full Betting: 4/1 Mollie Pearce, 9/2 Sam Aston, 11/2 Dan Edgar, 6/1 Chris Taylor, 7/1 Ferne McCann, 8/1 Sarah Storey, 9/1 Charlie Brookes, 10/1 Chelsee Healey, 16/1 Josh Jones, 20/1 Michaela Strachan, 20/1 Anton Ferdinand, 25/1 Sir Steve Redgrave.

Our Celebs were all smiles whilst slippin’ and slidin’ around the rink for the first time. @torvillanddean have their work cut out for them!#DancingOnIce pic.twitter.com/I8GH7fCIPM

— Dancing on Ice (@dancingonice) October 10, 2024

Who Are Dancing on Ice Previous Winners?

Dancing on Ice 2025 Judges & Presenters

The 2025 Dancing on Ice judging panel will once again include Jayne Torvill, Christopher Dean, Ashley Banjo, and Oti Mabuse. Stephen Mulhern and Holly Willoughby are expected to return as hosts for the series. The tried and tested format is likely to stay the same. Here is how it works:

• Celebrities paired with professional ice skaters: They learn and perform ice dance routines each week.
• Live Shows: Contestants perform live, and their performances are judged by a panel, with scores ranging from 0.0 to 10.0.
• Public Voting: The audience votes for their favourite performances, and combined with the judges’ scores, this determines who might face the “Skate Off.”
• Skate Off: The bottom two (and sometimes three) couples compete in a skate-off where they perform a different routine, and the judges decide who stays.
• Elimination: Each week, one or more couples are eliminated until the final, where the winner is crowned.

Viewers can expect some weekly star performances, themed nights, professional demonstrations – perhaps by Torvill and Dean – and possibly some form of a “props week” or similar during special episodes.

What Does the Formbook Suggest?

Five of the past seven Dancing on Ice winners traded as the betting favourites at the start of the competition and there has never been an outstanding shock winner of the show. Generally, those at the head of the betting after week three can be expected to be vying for the winner’s trophy.

History suggests that candidates aged 40-plus are severely handicapped in shows of this type. Indeed, the list of previous Dancing on Ice winners indicates that younger athletic types – and those with stage school experience – have a distinct advantage.

The oldest winner was professional dancer James Jordan, who was 40 when taking the prize in 2019. Three winners have been aged 35-39, and three have been aged 28-34. The remainder falls into the 20-27 bracket. Interestingly, singer and actor Ray Quinn (2009 winner) is the only previous champion under 24.

What Is the Best Dancing on Ice Bet?

The early favourite, Mollie Pearce, born with a limb deficiency, ticks a lot of boxes. However, her ability to dance on ice is yet to be confirmed. No winner of this contest – while sometimes making a deep run through novelty value – has been anything other than highly proficient in the dancing stakes.

Aged 22, Pearce is at least nine years younger than all rivals – meaning she could claim 100 per cent of the ‘young vote’. Nevertheless, our expert selection is Chelsee Healey, who sits eighth on the betting lists provided by the best UK betting sites.

The actress spent her formative years at acting school, where dancing is a staple diet. She put this experience to good use when contesting Strictly Come Dancing 2011, where she topped the leaderboard four times – being the first contestant to score a perfect 40 – and finished second overall.

It is, therefore, highly likely Healey, with credits in Doctors, Hollyoaks, Casualty, Waterloo Road, and a 2022 dance show called The Real Dirty Dancing, will be a natural on the ice. As a result, 10/1 overrates her chances of winning the competition.