Dancing On Ice: Connor Ball performs with blood dripping from his face

Dancing On Ice contestant Connor Ball perform with blood dripping from his face after rupturing stitched during his performance.

The Vamps bassist and singer cut his chin in rehearsals just minutes before he was due to open the live ITV show and underwent emergency stitches.

But after spinning his partner Alexandra Schauman over his head on the ice, the stitches ruptured, and he spoke to presenters Holly Willoughby and Stephen Mulhern while clutching a handkerchief to his bleeding chin.

Read more: DOI's Holly Willoughby reunited with old pal as Phillip Schofield still has COVID

Mulhern explained what had happened to the audience and asked Ball, 25, what had happened.

The musician said: "I was a bit stressed about the spin and so I kept trying to affect the spin and then I slipped and smashed my chin."

Mulhern reassured viewers that paramedics were standing by to treat Ball's injury immediately.

Judge Ashley Banjo told him: "Well done bro, taking that kind of fall before coming out on live tv with blood coming out of your face takes a lot of cuts. But go and get that seen to."

Head judge Christopher Dean pointed to a scar on his own chin and told Ball: "Welcome to the club. We all get it. You're now a professional skater. You've chosen a season where there are some professional dancers and you're getting up there."

They scored an impressive 33/40 for their Charleston.

Ball's performance was followed by the Happy Mondays star Bez who delivered yet another entertaining comedy performance dancing The Highland Fling The Proclaimers' On My Way.

The 57-year-old musician wore a kilt and a Scottish Tammy Shanter over his crash helmet and was awarded 20/40 by the judges - his best score of the series so far.

Bez was then asked by co-host Mulhern to play the bagpipes for the audience.

He said: "Wait 'til you hear me squeeze this bag."

But he dropped the pipes as music played in the background and was unable to mime, saying, "Forget it."

Dean told him: "You're still getting better. You entertain us, you scare us but more than anything you make us smile."

Banjo agreed: "Bez I love you and I want to see you here every week. Your skills - you're doing them on your own, and I've got massive respect for that."

And judge Oti Mabuse said: "I'd love to watch you and not be scared that something is going to happen . If we can get to that point my points will definitely get higher."

Willoughby was joined by her old CITV colleague Mulhern to host the show as Phillip Schofield is self-isolating with COVID-19.

The 59-year-old This Morning presenter missed hosting the ITV skating show for the first time ever in its 14 series, but joked on social media that it is "actually very good", as he watched at home with a gin and tonic.

Meanwhile, Olympic BMX rider Kye Whyte returned to the ice after taking a week off on medical advice, due to an injury he had suffered to his knee in training.

He earned a respectable 30/40 for his Disco dance.

Read more: Oti Mabuse stands defiant against racist and fat-shaming trolls

Last year's Dancing On Ice suffered a record number of celebrity drop-outs, with five celebrities forced to leave the cast over injury and testing positive for COVID, and a number of the pro skaters also injured.

Watch: Dancing On Ice audience member's screams distract viewers