Dancing On Ice’s Colin Grafton breaks silence on 2024 winner’s shock exit – and Phillip Schofield’s replacement

DANCING connected Ice prima Colin Grafton has opened up astir 2024 victor Amani Fancy's daze exit from the ITV show.

US-born skater Colin, 33, has competed successful the show's 2 astir caller series.

Speaking to The Sun Online, helium discussed chap pro Amani's determination to permission the show.

Amani, 27, and erstwhile Coronation Street prima Ryan Thomas, 40, triumphed to triumph bid 16 earlier this year.

Colin said: "Obviously, Amani's an incredible, unthinkable skater, unthinkable friend.

"Each season, you know, sometimes you privation to bash a season, sometimes you request a play off.

"Sometimes you person different opportunity. I judge Amani made the determination to skip this year.

"I deliberation she has immoderate different worldly going on.

"But, you know, she seems ace blessed and decidedly volition beryllium missed for sure.

"She's a fantastic skater. But besides I'm highly excited to person some Eric and Molly, the caller pros."

It comes arsenic fans learned Colin volition beryllium partnering The Traitors prima Mollie Pearce for the 2025 series.

The world contestant volition beryllium pursuing successful the footsteps of erstwhile celeb partners The Vivienne and Claire Sweeney.

Elsewhere successful the interview, Colin discussed long-time presenter Phillip Schofield's exit from Dancing connected Ice.

Philip, 62, presented the programme connected and disconnected from 2006 to 2023, overlapping with Colin connected 1 series.

Longtime ITV property Stephen Mulhern, 47, was picked to instrumentality over.

Colin shared: “Honestly, [Phillip leaving] didn't truly impact maine overmuch astatine all.

“Phillip was a fantastic feline to beryllium around. He was ace nice.

"I didn't truly get to walk overmuch clip with him, of course, due to the fact that I was truthful focusing connected each the choreography and the training.

“And past erstwhile past year, erstwhile Stephen came connected board, what a fantastic guy.

"Like, honestly, he's conscionable a truly kind, saccharine guy. 

“And I really retrieve past twelvemonth [when helium joined], helium really came successful aboriginal 1 time and conscionable watched each of the professionals practice.

"[He] came up to each 1 of america and shook our hands. 

“And I really conscionable thought that was truly saccharine of him. He's a truly nice guy.”

Dancing connected Ice volition beryllium returning to ITV successful January 2025.