A married couple who have been professional skaters on Dancing On Ice for 13 years have pulled out of the next series, saying they are struggling to agree to changes to the show.
Since 2010, Alexandra Schauman from Finland, now 43, has worked with celebrities such as Sam Nixon, Todd Carty and James Jordan, with whom she won in 2019.
She has been married for 15 years to Poland’s Lukasz Rozycki, now 44, whose DOI partners included Trisha Goddard, Myleene Klass and Beth Tweddle, with whom he made the final in 2014.
Speaking from their home in Sweden, Alex said: ‘Lukasz and I will not be returning for the upcoming season of Dancing On Ice, and wanted to say a few words about that before it is announced publicly.
‘We absolutely love being part of the show for so long, but it has taken a very different angle and we find it hard to agree with a lot of things.
All the change: Couple Alexandra Schauman and Lukasz Rozycki, who have been professional skaters on Dancing On Ice for 13 years, have pulled out of the next series and say they are struggling to agree to changes to the show
Speaking from their home in Sweden, they said: ‘We’ve absolutely enjoyed being part of the show for so long, but it’s taken a very different angle and we find it hard to agree with a lot of things’ (pictured in February 2020)
“Most of the time, we’ve realized that there’s no opportunity to ‘grow’ in the show or take on different roles. And maybe it’s not so attractive for the show that we’re not dramatic, that we treat people with respect and that we’re not interested in the increasingly contrived romantic stories.’
Highlighting the toll the show has taken on them, Lukasz said: ‘We’ve had great experiences with Dancing On Ice, met and trained great people, and performed some special routines.
‘The show is great fun, but hard work and challenging, as everyone who has taken part will agree. Over the years it has taken its toll on us, both mentally and physically.
‘The work we do as professionals is sometimes very underestimated. We have so much to do that it can be overwhelming and stressful.
‘We discussed various options with production last summer and ultimately it was decided that a year’s rest would be best.
‘But we have a very good relationship with the executives, who have been very supportive, and we have certainly left the door open for discussions about a return in the future.’
Nevertheless, Alex admitted: ‘Knowing that we will now not be taking part in the upcoming series is very sad and very strange as the show has become almost like a second home to us.
‘We are also very sorry to disappoint our fans, whose support means a lot to us. We will be heading abroad soon to be part of the creative team on a Christmas show, but we hope to find a way to watch Dancing On Ice from January and wish everyone all the best in doing so.
They said: ‘We have realized that there is no opportunity to “grow” on the show or take on different roles. And maybe it’s not so appealing to the show that we’re not dramatic, that we treat people with respect, and that we’re not interested in the increasingly contrived romantic stories.”
Lukasz said: ‘The show is great fun, but hard work and challenging, as everyone who has taken part will agree. Over the years it has taken its toll on us both mentally and physically.”
“Hopefully one day we can join the great DOI family again.”
The news comes after Dancing On Ice confirmed its line-up of professional skaters for the upcoming 2024 series.
Returning to the show are Vanessa Bauer, Colin Grafton, Mark Hanretty, Brendyn Hatfield, Sylvain Longchambon and Tippy Packard.
After a one-series break and having both first appeared on the show in 2013, Andy Buchanan and Robin Johnstone will also be back on the ice.
Meanwhile, Matt Evers announces his departure from the show after a brilliant run of fifteen series and being part of the professional line-up since the very first series in 2006.
The biggest show on ice also welcomes four brand new skaters:
Amani Fancy – Two-time British National Champion, previously appeared in the German version of Dancing on Ice
Vanessa James – Six-time French national champion who represented Canada at the 2022 Winter Olympics
Annette Dytrt – Former German and Czech national champion, also appeared in the German version of Dancing on Ice
Simon Senecal – Former Armenian National Champion and Winter Olympic Athlete
Karen Barber and Daniel Whiston will also return to the show as Head Coach and Creative Director respectively.
As the celebrities of 2024 begin their intense training regime, the professional combinations will be announced in the coming weeks.
Dancing On Ice returns on ITV1, STV and ITVX in 2024.