Dancing On Ice’s Christopher Dean breaks finger just days before show’s launch | Celebrity News | Showbiz & TV

The former Olympic champion skater, 64, is still due to join the judging panel for the launch show on Sunday despite the injury to his little finger.

Appearing on ITV’s Good Morning Britain, he firstly joked he had sustained the damage while attempting a fictional move from the 2007 skating satire film Blades of Glory before admitting the real cause.

He said: “It was the Iron (Lotus) from Blades of Glory. But no, it was a darkened room. I just fell over in the dark.

“Not safe off the ice I’m afraid.”

His long-term skating partner and fellow judge Jayne Torvill added that he did not tell her for a couple of days as she feels he was “annoyed with himself” about it.

They explained they have had to reconsider what he can still do on the ice as it is a “three-fingered affair now”.

Torvill added: “At first, I was afraid like if I grabbed his hand, because we’re always holding hands, I didn’t want to hurt it anymore. But he’s got a splint.”

However, she admitted she has been in a similar position as last year she fractured her wrist after slipping and putting her hand down which she said she knows you never should do.

The pair, who won gold at the Winter Olympics in Sarajevo in 1984, will be joined by Diversity dancer Ashley Banjo and former Strictly Come Dancing professional dancer Oti Mabuse on the show’s judging panel.

The new series will see 11 celebrities taking part with Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby returning to host the show’s 15th series.

This year’s line-up includes former Liberty X singer Michelle Heaton, drag queen and TV personality The Vivienne, actress and DJ Patsy Palmer, The Wanted star Siva Kaneswaran, and former footballer John Fashanu.

Love Island winner Ekin-Su Culculoglu, Olympic gymnast Nile Wilson, Coronation Street’s Mollie Gallagher, Towie star Joey Essex, comedian Darren Harriott and Hollyoaks star Carley Stenson are also among the contestants.

Torvill said all the new contestants were “terribly nervous” when they entered the show’s training bootcamp as they are immediately tasked with skating into the middle of the rink by themselves to see what they can do.

She added they had just learned that actress and Love Island star Culculoglu is not feeling well either ahead of the show’s launch but they hope she will be ready for Sunday.

• Dancing On Ice begins on January 15 at 6.30pm on ITV1 and ITVX.