Dancing On Ice: Rachel Stevens loses out in skate-off

Rachel Stevens has become the third contestant to be voted off Dancing On Ice - after losing the skate-off against Olympic BMX rider Kye Whyte.

The S Club 7 singer - who missed performing in her first week on the ITV show because she had injured her wrist in rehearsal - was scored 25/40 for her Waltz with professional partner Brendyn Hatfield, but the public vote left her in the bottom two.

Stevens, 43, said: "It's definitely been a process. I have really loved it, it's been an amazing experience. I've loved dancing with Brendyn so much."

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

And the pop singer said that she had loved being able to share her skating journey with her daughters daughters Amelie, 11 and Minnie, seven, who she shares with husband Alex Bourne.

Stevens said: "It's so special for them to have been a part of it and to have shared with them. I've had the best time."

Whyte, 22, returned to the ice after taking a week off on medical advice, due to an injury he had suffered to his knee in training, and earned a respectable 30/40 for his Disco dance.

After performing in the skate-off with professional partner Tippy Packartd the BMX biker looked confident but said, "I'm just here to have fun."

It was Stevens' second week in the skate-off. Last week she had been saved by the judges after competing in the skate-off against TV presenter Ria Hebden.

Judge Ashley Banjo said: "It's always tough and I always hope somebody makes a mistake to make it easy but neither of you did. But one couple was a bit stronger so I'm going to vote for Kye and Tippy."

Oti Mabuse said: "I'm going to vote for the couple that had a bit more confidence and thats Kye and Tippy."

Christopher Dean agreed: "Based on the performance and based on strength and ability I'm choosing Kye and Tippy."

With three votes, Stevens was already out of the competition, but Head judge Jayne Torvill added: "Both couples performed and didn't make any mistakes but the strongest skater for me was Kye."

Earlier in the show The Vamps Connor Ball performed with blood dripping from his face after rupturing stitched during his performance.

The 25-year-old musician 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 the judges while clutching a handkerchief to his bleeding chin.

And Happy Mondays star Bez delivered yet another entertaining comedy performance dancing The Highland Fling to 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

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

Holly Willoughby was joined by her old CITV colleague Stephen 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.

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

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.

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