Louis Spence joins Dancing on Ice judges' panel

Louie Spence has promised to encourage the Dancing on Ice skaters after he took over from acid-tongued Australian Jason Gardiner on the ITV1 show. Jason caused controversy last year when he was accused of bullying former judge Karen Barber after telling her: "If your opinion still mattered, you'd be on the panel." Earlier, he had described watching former swimmer Sharron Davies dance as like watching 'faecal matter that won't flush'. Louie, who found fame on the reality show Pineapple Dance Studios, said: "I'm looking forward to being part of such a challenging and spectacular show and I can't wait to give my encouragement and critique on the contestants' dance and performance on the ice." He will join returning head judge Robin Cousins and double Olympic champion Katarina Witt on the panel and Karen also returns as head coach alongside Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean. Katarina said: "I can't wait to join the Dancing on Ice judging panel. As well as offering support and constructive advice to this year's celebrity skaters I'm also looking forward to working alongside my close friends Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean." Dancing on Ice returns to ITV1 on Sunday, January 8.

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Patrick McLennan is a London-based journalist and documentary maker who has worked as a writer, sub-editor, digital editor and TV producer in the UK and New Zealand. His CV includes spells as a news producer at the BBC and TVNZ, as well as web editor for Time Inc UK. He has produced TV news and entertainment features on personalities as diverse as Nick Cave, Tom Hardy, Clive James, Jodie Marsh and Kevin Bacon and he co-produced and directed The Ponds, which has screened in UK cinemas, BBC Four and is currently available on Netflix.

An entertainment writer with a diverse taste in TV and film, he lists Seinfeld, The Sopranos, The Chase, The Thick of It and Detectorists among his favourite shows, but steers well clear of most sci-fi.