The latest season of *Dancing on Ice* kicked off last Sunday, with half of the 11 new celebrities taking to the ice for their debut performances. 

Hosts Holly Willoughby and Stephen Mulhern were back to guide viewers through the evening, 

but the return of the popular ITV skating show has been marred by some significant changes, leaving many fans furious.

One of the most notable alterations this season is the decision to ditch the traditional skate off during the first elimination. 

Fans will have to wait until week two for the first official vote-off, with scores and votes from both week one and week two being combined to determine who will leave the competition. 

This means the results will be based on a two-week tally, rather than the usual single-week elimination.

Many *Dancing on Ice* viewers took to social media to voice their dissatisfaction with the change. Some fans were particularly puzzled by how the new voting system would work. One commenter wrote, “I just can’t figure out how they do that fairly when one is a six-way vote and the other a five-way vote.” Others were more critical of the decision, questioning the fairness of the combined vote system. “I’m baffled as to how the voting is going to work. I THINK it’s probably that only after the vote has closed in week two, the public vote points will be allocated 11-1 based on how many individual votes each have received in their respective weeks. This, however, still puts everyone who skated in week 1 at a disadvantage as there is an extra person to spread the vote around that week,” one fan commented.

This confusion and frustration over the voting system highlight the significant shift in how the show is being run this season. In previous years, the skate off typically featured the bottom two couples from the public vote, who would then face off in a tense elimination skate. The changes, however, have left many viewers feeling uncertain about the fairness of the process and the lack of clarity surrounding the public vote allocation.

Another fan expressed their frustration with the decision to remove the skate off in week two, writing: “Baffling to axe the week two Skate Off considering how much padding was in episode 1 with an extra act, bigger opening number, and T&D routine.” These sentiments echoed a sense of disappointment in the new structure of the show, with fans feeling that the changes were unnecessary and have led to more confusion than excitement.

As if the voting shake-up wasn’t enough, the first live show also saw some drama unfolding in the audience, as tensions appeared to rise between Ferne McCann’s fiancé Lorri Haines and her mother, Gilly. The pair were seated together with Ferne’s daughter, Sunday, between them during the show, but according to an audience mole, they barely exchanged any words. The source described the interaction as “bizarre” and noted that the tension was palpable. While the reason for the cold atmosphere remains unclear, it is well-known that Ferne and Lorri have faced some relationship struggles recently, which may have contributed to the strained vibes in the audience.

The on-screen drama extended beyond the ice rink as fans speculated about the tension between the couple. “It was very bizarre, and it was clear there was some tension in the air,” the spy said. The awkwardness between Ferne’s fiancé and her mother added another layer of intrigue to the evening, leaving viewers wondering what may be going on behind the scenes.

Despite the controversies surrounding the voting changes and the strained relationships within the audience, *Dancing on Ice* is still a major draw for fans, and the new season promises to bring plenty of excitement and drama. However, if the backlash over these early changes is anything to go by, it seems the production team may need to rethink some of the decisions made for this year’s competition.

As the show progresses, viewers will no doubt be keeping a close eye on how the new voting system works and whether it leads to any further tension among the celebrities and their fans. Only time will tell if the changes made for this season will be embraced or if they’ll become a point of contention as the competition heats up.

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