Dancing On Ice’s most horrific injuries from sports star ‘giving himself a c-section’ to soap legend knocked unconscious
DANCING on Ice has gained a reputation for being one of the most dangerous reality competitions on telly.
As well as glittering performances and jaw-dropping routines, over the years the ITV competition has endured some shocking injuries.
Here are some of the bloodiest and painful that have left both contestants and viewers watching through their fingers.
Knocked unconscious
Hollyoaks and Waterloo Road star Chelsee Healey was shaken following an accident on the ice in training ahead of her debut on the ice.
She appeared in the series opener after telling The Sun she was knocked unconscious from a painful fall.
Chelsee landed on her tailbone and fainted from the shock.
Chelsee said: “I remember Andy (Buchanan) waking me up and going, ‘Chelsee, Chelsee,’ and he picked me up and dragged me off the ice. I was all dizzy, and then I just went.”
‘C-Section’ horror
One of the most infamous injuries came when Olympic legend Greg Rutherford described his gruesome accident as “like giving himself a C-section.”
During a routine in rehearsals last year, he fell in such a way that the blade of his skate sliced his own abdomen.
While he was rushed to hospital, the incident in rehearsals meant he missed out on taking part in the final after being a favourite to win the series.
Thankfully, he recovered after multiple operations surgery, but he has been left with a scar and the moment remains one of the most talked-about injuries on the show.
TV legend breaks shoulder and ribs
Late TV legend Keith Chegwin revealed in 2011 he had always wanted to take part on Dancing On Ice.
Unfortunately for him, a nasty fall stopped him in his tracks on the first day alone.
After being rushed to hospital he was forced to pull out of the competition with a broken shoulder in three places and three cracked ribs.
Face sliced open
Hollyoaks actress Jorgie Porter looked devastated when she managed to slice open her partner Matt Evers’ face in the dress rehearsal of her routine to Bring Me To Life.
Bringing her legs up around Matt Evers’ neck for the dangerous stunt, Jorgie slipped and sent her skate blade straight across her partner’s face.
He was taken to hospital, stitched up and still performed, but it was obvious the moment left them both completely shaken.
They still went ahead with the live performance of the routine, thankfully that time it went off without a hitch.
Headbanger fail
At nearly two metres tall, you’d think you’d be in safe hands performing a headbnager with ex-England goalie David Seaman.
But sadly his partner Pam O’Connor found the opposite was true when they attempted the risky move.
David slipped and dropped her on the ice in rehearsals and she landed on her chin.
When doctors told her not to perform again, David was paired with Natalia Pestova, who he also dropped on the ice in
the live show.
Eye socket injury
90s singer Vanilla Ice proved he wasn’t quite as cool for school as he originally hoped on the slippery surface.
While training in the rink, the star suffered a fall and cracked his eye on the ground as he landed.
He was taken to hospital with a concussion and needed stitches on his wound, which was bleeding heavily on the side of the rink.
Sliced scalp
In what was described as one of the show’s most gruesome injuries, Jennifer attempted a scorpion kick in 2012, but it went horribly wrong.
The former Brookside actress threw her leg back so far that her skate sliced into her head.
She bravely continued the routine despite bleeding so heavily that it dyed her blonde hair red.
“Obviously the heart’s pumping and a lot of blood has come out,” the star’s pro-skater partner Daniel Whiston later explained.
Jennifer said of the incident: “It was like being hit by a brick… I honestly thought the back of my head would be hanging off when I finished.”
Stabbed by skate
Professional skater Yebin Mok, who was partnered with Graham Bell, had to pull out of the competition in 2021 after sustaining a horrifying leg injury during rehearsals.
Mok was stabbed by an ice skate during practice with Olympic Skier Graham, and revealed the injury was so severe that it “exposed her tendons”.
Shoulder pop
The former Westlife star feared being ruled out of the competition before he even performed his first live show.
He was practicing a lift with pro-skater Alex when his shoulder popped out and it was later revealed that he had damaged his rotator cuff too.
However, Brian was able to return to the show despite the fall being “pretty bad” and leaving him “really anxious” about another injury.
The singer missed out on a spot in the 2019 final after falling during a performance in the semi-final.