Dancing on Ice 2023 line up: who are the contestants with Joey Essex, Mollie Gallagher and The Vivienne?

Dancing on Ice is back for another season in 2023 with Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield gearing up to host the beloved ITV programme.

The show challenges a range of celebrities to test their skills on the ice rink in a bid to impress an expert panel of judges and the viewers from home. Last year’s show was won by professional dancer Regan Gascoigne and his partner Karina Manta.

According to the bookies’ odds, there is already one clear favourite for this year’s competition, as well as one contestant they expect to be like Bambi on ice.

Here we take a look at all the celebrities braving the ice this year and where you might have seen them before.

When is Dancing on Ice 2023?

The new series of Dancing on Ice begins on Sunday 15 January.

Last year’s show began on 16 January and the series normally runs for around 10 weeks. It is expected to follow a similar pattern this time around.

How to watch Dancing on Ice 2023?

All episodes of Dancing on Ice 2023 will be shown on ITV1 every Sunday at 6.30pm. Each episode will run from 6.30pm until 8pm.

You can also keep up to date with all the performances on the ITV Hub after the live show finishes. You can download the ITV Hub app on your mobile phone or tablet device.

Who are the contestants for Dancing on Ice 2023?

The full line up has been confirmed for the 2023 series of Dancing on Ice. ITV has confirmed that there will be a total of 11 celebrities participating in this year’s series,.

Here are all the names we can expect to see be in Dancing on Ice 2023:

Siva Kaneswaran - Pop singer

Siva Kaneswaran is an Irish singer and songwriter who is best known for being a member of the popular boy band The Wanted. The bands debut album The Wanted enjoyed great success in 2010 and their hit song Glad You Came topped the UK charts for two weeks when it was released. The band enjoyed further success with hit such as Chasing the Sun, Lightning and I found You.

Kaneswaran says he was inspired to go on the show by his late band mate Tom Parker. Kaneswaran said: “ Tom taught me so much about life. He taught me to live to the fullest and not to be afraid. It is one of the reasons why I am doing this show.”

Michelle Heaton- Pop singer

Michelle Heaton is an English, pop singer, actress and television personality. Heaton is best known for her time in the pop group Liberty X from 2001 until their split in 2007. The Gateshead born pop star has also featured on TV shows such as Come Dine With Me and Celebrity Big Brother.

Heaton broke the news that she would be joining the line up on ITV’s Lorraine. The Liberty X singer said: “I’m so excited-I can’t believe it. Me and the kids are such big fans of the show in general. I’ve always wanted to do it but I know I would never have been able to complete anything because of the way I was 18 months ago, so I’m really truly grateful that I’ve got it this year when I’m a lot stronger.”

Heaton has spoken publicly in the past about her battles with alocholism but has claimed she is in the best physical and mental state of her life at the moment.

Carley Stenson - Actress and singer

Carley Stenson is an English actress and singer. Stenson is best known for her role as Steph Cunnigham in the long running Channel 4 soap orea Hollyoaks. During her time on the show Stenson recieved numerous nominations at the British Soap Awards. The English actress left Hollyoaks in 2010 and since then she has featured in a number of musical theatre roles such as Elle Woods in Legally Blonde and Fantine in Les Miserables.

Stenson has expressed her excitement at joining the Dancing on Ice line up and said: “I’m terrified but I can’t wait- I just want to make the most of this whole experience.”

Darren Harriot- Comedian

Darren Harriot is a British stand-up comedian. The comedian will be familiar to viewers from his appearances on Love Island: Aftersun, 8 Out of 10 Cats and Live At The Appolo.

The 34 year old comedian joked about some of the problem he may encounter on the show during an interview with TalkTV’s Trisha Goddard. Harriot said: “I’m panicking. I’m worried. I can’t skate, I don’t really dance. What am I doing?

“I’ve got the biggest feet they’ve ever had on the show they’ve said-I’m only a size 13. I don’t have the boot yet- I’m the only one who doesn’t have boots.”

Patsy Palmer - Eastenders actress and DJ

Julie Anne Merkell, known professionally as Patsy Palmer is an English actress and DJ who is best known for her role in the long running BBC soap opera Eastenders.  Palmer featured on Eastenders from 1993 until 1999, however she also returned to the show from 2008-2014 and more recently in 2019.

Palmer is no stranger to the dance floor and has previously competed on Strictly Come Dancing in 2005 where she finished 5th. The Eastenders actress said: “I wanted to challenge myself and get out of my comfort zone. I thought I’ll just go for it and it seems like a lot of fun. My pact that I made with myself when I was 50 was that I have to do things to challenge myself for the next couple of years. This is for all the 50-year-olds out there that think they can’t challenge themselves.”

John Fashanu- Footballer

John Fashanu was a former footballer who represented the England national team on two occasions. He is best remembered for his time at Wimbledon at a time where the players were labelled the “Crazy Gang” due to their aggressive style of play. During his time he helped them to a shock FA Cup final victory over Liverpool in 1988.

The former Wimbledon striker said: “I’m so excited to be a part of Dancing on Ice! I don’t think it’ll come as a surprise to people that I’m very competitive- I am definitely in it to win it.”

Ekin Su Culculoglu - Love Island Winner

It has been an incredible year for Turkish actress and model Ekin Su who has enjoyed an incredible rise to fame after being crowned the winner of reality TV series Love Island. Since leaving the show there has already been talk of a cooking programme with her Love Island partner Davide and a host of other TV opportunities.

The Love Island winner revealed the news on Good Morning Britain and said: “I’ve got some amazing news to tell you, I’m going to be doing this year’s Dancing On Ice. I’m so excited, I can’t wait to get myself on the ice and skate. Stay tuned and see you on the ice!”

Mollie Gallagher - Coronation Street actress

Mollie Gallagher has also been revealed in the lineup for the latest series of Dancing on Ice. Gallagher is best known for her role as Nina Lucas in the soap opera Coronation Street and the 24 year-old actress won several awards including Best Newcomer at the Inside Soap Awards.

Nile Wilson- Olympic gymnast

Nile Wilson is a former British artistic gymnast who won a bronze medal for Team GB during the 2016 Summer Olympics. He has enjoyed a successful career in the sport and is a five time Commonwealth Games champion.

Since retiring Wilson has become a well renowned YouTuber where he posts vlogs about his workouts and daily life. Wilson took to his channel to announce he was appearing on the show and said: “I’m going to be on ITV’s Dancing on Ice! This is a really cool thing. I’ve certainly not done much ice-skating, but I am so excited for this opportunity. I’m so excited to get into that routine and feel like an athlete again.”

Joey Essex - Towie star and TV personality

Joey Essex is an English TV personality who first made a name for himself by appearing on the reality TV series The Only Way is Essex. Since then he has appeared in shows such as Celeb’s Go Dating and I’m a Celebrity..Get Me Out of Here!

The former Towie star is aiming to impress on the upcoming show and said: “I would love to win. I’m going to put all my energy into this. This stage in my life, I’m so ready for this.”

The Vivienne - Welsh drag queen

Vivienne is best known for being the winner of the series RuPauls Drag Race UK in 2019.

The Drag Race UK winner said: “I’m beyond excited to announce that I will be competing on Dancing on Ice in 2023. This is honestly a dream come true and I can’t wait to start training on the ice. To be the first drag artist to take part in one of the big UK reality competition shows is truly an honour. I think it’s a big step forward for queer representation on TV.”