Another celebrity leaves Dancing On Ice to miss out on next week’s semi-finals

Former footballer Anton Ferdinand impressed the judges to score the first perfect score of the series.

Another contestant has been eliminated from Dancing On Ice (Yui Mok/PA)

PA Wire

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Former Traitors star Mollie Pearce has become the latest contestant to be eliminated from Dancing On Ice, while ex-footballer Anton Ferdinand topped the leaderboard with a perfect score of 40.

Pearce lost out in the skate-off to The Only Way Is Essex star Dan Edgar during Sunday’s Musicals Week, after head judge Jayne Torvill decided to save the Essex-born reality star.

After the results were announced, Pearce began to cry as she said: “I’ve had the best time, and these are happy tears, because honestly, I met a friend for life, and this has been the experience of a lifetime, I’ve loved it.

“I’m happy to have made it this far.”

Pearce got the lowest score of 35.5 from the judges for her performance to Abba’s Mamma Mia with partner Colin Grafton, and will miss out on next week’s semi-final.

Edgar found himself in the skate-off despite achieving the second highest score of 37.5 for his performance to Oklahoma with partner Vanessa James, who suffered a fall during the show.

Ferdinand impressed the judges with his performance to Bring Him Home from Les Miserables, achieving the highest score of the series with professional partner Annette Dytrt.

Judge Oti Mabuse said she was “unbelievably proud” of the 40-year-old’s performance which she said deserved “another standing ovation”.

Judge Christopher Dean said: “Right from the beginning, just the way that you stood there and the way that you finished it, we all felt it.

“It was quite emotional, we’ve got tingly already, and I felt you had us all in the palm of your hand.”

TV presenter Michaela Strachan and her partner Mark Hanretty were given a score of 36.5 for their routine to Cabaret, while Coronation Street actor Sam Aston donned a hat and tails to score 37 while skating to I’ll Do Anything from Oliver with partner Molly Lanaghan.

After Aston’s performance, Torvill said: “This style really suited you, and I was expecting that once you started skating, we’d lose the Artful Dodger, but he stayed the whole time, and that was great to see, and the skating was lovely and smooth.”

The show opened with a musical number from Michael Ball and Alfie Boe, and the cast of Moulin Rouge The Musical also performed.

Dancing On Ice returns for the semi-finals at 6.30pm next Sunday, when the skaters will perform solo routines.

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