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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Entertainment
Zoe Delaney

Dancing On Ice viewers call for Arlene Phillips to be a full-time judge on ITV show

Dame Arlene Phillips proved herself to be a great addition to the Dancing On Ice judging panel on Sunday night.

The I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! star, 78, was a special guest judge on the latest installment of the ITV skating show - the first time the series has ever had five judges!

14 years on from her 'ageist' axe from the Strictly Come Dancing panel, the West End legend graced our TV screens once again, joining Ashley Banjo, 33, Jayne Torvill, 64, Christopher Dean, 63, and Oti Mabuse, 31 on the Dancing On Ice judging panel.

The mum-of-two looked sensational for her grand return to TV, wearing an eye-catching glittery blue gown for her Dancing On Ice debut.

Arlene Phillips was a welcome guest on the ITV show on Sunday night (ITV)

Within minutes of the show starting, viewers took to social media to discuss how great it was to see the choreographer's return to TV.

"Please can we keep Arlene? #DOI #DancingOnIce," one fan asked as the show aired on Sunday night, with another in agreement, tweeting: "So nice to see Arlene back on the TV!"

"Get Arlene back on #Strictly! #DancingOnIce #DOI," a third demanded, referencing the star's previous gig on the BBC ballroom dancing series.

Other viewers noted the dancing legend's youthful looking appearance during her stint on the reality TV show.

For the first time ever, Dancing On Ice had five judges on Sunday night (ITV)

"Arlene looks incredible, especially in that blue sparkly dress #DancingOnIce," one tweeter gushed online, while another viewer quipped: "arlene phillips looks INCREDIBLE… 78 more like 78 seconds from her gcses #dancingonice."

A third complimentary admirer added: "Bloody hell, Arlene Phillips looks amazing #dancingonice #ITV @arlenephillips."

Arlene's return to reality TV comes 14 years after her sensational axe from Strictly Come Dancing in 2008.

The professional dancer was dumped from the BBC series amid claims she was 'too old' at 64 for primetime TV.

Viewers commented on how good Arlene was looking on Sunday night (ITV)

Former MisTeeq pop star Alesha Dixon replaced her on the judging panel - intensifying the ageism row due to the fact the singer was just 30-years-old at the time.

Speaking in 2011, three years after her shock dumping, Arlene admitted she would be "forever tangled up" with the BBC show.

"I've come to accept it," she told the Daily Mail at the time.

"What's been a real surprise is the endless tweets, emails, comments on Facebook and in the street.

"I really thought it would have completely faded by now. But I realise I'll be forever tangled up with it in some way. It's a huge programme - a mega programme. I just live with it now."

Arlene was on the Strictly Come Dancing panel between 2004 to 2009, alongside fellow original judges Len Goodman, Craig Revel Horwood, and Bruno Tonioli.

* Dancing on Ice continues on ITV this Sunday from 6pm. You can catch-up on previous episodes through the ITV Hub.

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