Is Jodie Marsh tipped for Dancing On Ice?
Model turned bodybuilder Jodie Marsh and EastEnders star Matt Lapinskas are being tipped to take part in the next series of Dancing On Ice - with the show also set to undergo a shake-up. According to the Daily Star both Jodie and Matt have already auditioned for the show, which will return early next year, and producers - who are looking to bring some flamboyant personalities to the next series - are said to be keen on both of them. "The show was slammed as being boring last time around so bosses are keen to pick people who will make the headlines," a source told the paper. "And in Jodie's case it doesn't have to be for the right reasons. She loves the limelight and they reckon she'd be great on the show. And Matt - who is set to leave his EastEnders role as Anthony Moon later this year - is also said to be keen, although may find himself choosing between the ice rink and the ballroom. "They approached him after he said he wanted to do Strictly Come Dancing so he really is top of their list," the source added. It is also rumoured that the judging panel - which this year featured Katarina Witt, Louis Spence and Robin Cousins - could also undergo a shake-up, with Jason Gardiner even tipped to make a comeback. The series was won this year by Emmerdale's Matthew Wolfenden, with Hollyoaks star Jorgie Porter and singer Chico Slimani also reaching the final. However it suffered some of its lowest ever ratings - losing out to BBC1's drama hit Call The Midwife - and was branded "boring" by producers - with the judging panel accused of being "too nice".
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Patrick McLennan is a London-based journalist and documentary maker who has worked as a writer, sub-editor, digital editor and TV producer in the UK and New Zealand. His CV includes spells as a news producer at the BBC and TVNZ, as well as web editor for Time Inc UK. He has produced TV news and entertainment features on personalities as diverse as Nick Cave, Tom Hardy, Clive James, Jodie Marsh and Kevin Bacon and he co-produced and directed The Ponds, which has screened in UK cinemas, BBC Four and is currently available on Netflix.
An entertainment writer with a diverse taste in TV and film, he lists Seinfeld, The Sopranos, The Chase, The Thick of It and Detectorists among his favourite shows, but steers well clear of most sci-fi.