Comedian Josh Jones has been forced to withdraw from Dancing On Ice after being injured during rehearsals.
The 32-year-old was due to perform alongside partner Tippy Packard in the third episode of the ITV reality skating show on Sunday, but will now leave the competition early.
A message on the official Dancing On Ice social media channels said: “Josh and Tippy’s partnership will be greatly missed. We will be helping to support Josh and wish him well with his recovery.”
The Mancunian comic had never ice skated before entering Dancing On Ice, telling viewers his experience was “as they say in Eurovision… nul points”.
Jones hosts the historical gossip podcast Dead Drama and is a co-presenter of the comedy podcast Chatting With Cherubs alongside Morgan Rees.
He has also appeared on shows including Jonathan Ross’ Comedy Club and 8 Out Of 10 Cats, and has hosted the BBC Three competition Fast Food Face-Off.
He was partnered with professional figure skater Tippy Packard, who joined the show in 2022.
The pair’s first skate on Dancing On Ice was a light-hearted performance to the Scissor Sisters hit I Don’t Feel Like Dancing, which landed them in the bottom two last week.
They narrowly survived elimination, with the Hollyoaks actress Chelsee Healey becoming the first celebrity to be voted off the 2025 series.
Following Jones and Packard’s exit from the show, fans took to social media calling for Healey to be allowed to return to the competition.
There has been no announcement on whether the couple will be replaced.
It is not the first time a contestant on the show has been forced to withdraw because of injury.
In 2024, former Olympic athlete Greg Rutherford was forced to pull out of the final after sustaining an injury in rehearsals.
Before last year’s series had begun, former Gogglebox star Stephen Lustig-Webb withdrew because of an ankle injury.
Others have sustained injuries but continued to compete.
Coronation Street star Antony Cotton fractured two ribs in 2018 when his partner, Brandee Malto, landed on top of him – but vowed that “the show must go on”.
And in the 2012 series, the former Brookside actor Jennifer Ellison attempted to impress the judges by attempting a “scorpion kick” – but while extending her leg towards the back of her head she cut her head with her skate.
She continued until the semi-final before being eliminated.
