Dancing on Ice Friday revealed that Angela Rippon would be the guest judge this week in place of Robin who was still on reporting duties in Vancouver. Torvill and Dean opened the show skating to Michael Buble with Jayne wearing a great pink chiffon dress. The required element this week was the individual opening and closing positions which is difficult to do when you are not confident on the ice by yourself. Taking the professional partner away is almost like removing the comfort blanket!

Kieron Richardson and Brianne
Music: Ever Fallen in Love - Buzzcocks
To open the show Kieron and Brianne skated to a punk rock classic – a song which neither of them had ever heard! Kieron was sporting a Mohican hairdo and some leather trousers!! A little stumble mid-routine was disappointing but he managed to stay upright. He seemed to be really enjoying himself but I thought the performance was a little weak. Kieron has all the parts to be a nice skater but something lets him down every week. Having said that, I enjoyed his skate and look forward to seeing him next week.

Sharron Davies and Pavel
Music: Stay – Shakespeare's Sister
Sharron seemed to have lost a bit of confidence this week in practice and that showed with a change of music. I think she should have stuck to her original choice and done something different. She can’t skate to the same tempo every week as it doesn’t show progression. She did look better this week with a leotard with some ruffles – this softened her lines slightly and went better with the music. I have to admit that I am not a champion of Sharron’s and I believe there are better competitors in the show.

Danniella Westbrook and Matthew
Music: You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me – Dusty Springfield
Last week Danniella really raised the bar and I thoroughly enjoyed her performance so I expected more of the same this week – and she delivered. I thought that the last move was slightly precarious as Matthew picked her up and then bounced her back off the ice! I always enjoy her skating as she looks to be making the most of being there every week. She received her highest score of 24 this week and I think that was well deserved. I can’t wait to see her next week as every week she improves and takes all the comments on board without complaint.

Danny Young and Frankie
Music: Sherry – Frankie Valli and The Four Season
I don’t think that Danny looked very stable this week and was on his tow picks quite a bit whilst skating. I don’t think much improvement has been made with this couple whilst the others are making marked steps forwards every week. It was a fun routine and very cute but I don’t think that he has it in him to win the competition. Danny needs to work on his kneebend and also the stability in the lifts. It could be nerves on the night which is making him slightly wobbly but he needs to put this to one side as others are really going for it when the spotlight is on them.

Hayley Tammadon and Daniel
Music: Get Happy – Judy Garland
I loved the opening to this routine with them led on the judging table! This was a really enjoyable performance with lots of energy throughout. Hayley had a small slip in the middle but she got straight back into the routine. Her musicality is spot on which is to be expected with her background and the score of 26 suited them. If I was to have a slight criticism of the skate it would be that Hayley needs to skate more on her own as she can do it.

Emily Atack and Fred
Music: Bad Boys – Alexandra Burke
I have to admit that this routine was a little uncomfortable to watch. Emily looked really awkward trying to dance to this music. She cuts a great figure on the ice and always looks nice but it just seems as though something is missing. Her lifts were lovely and the platter lift was well executed at the end. This performance was her strongest out of the series and the scored reflected that. I really want Emily to work on her knees as they need to be softer so that everything flows and knits together.

Gary Lucy and Maria
Music: What About Now – Westlife
Another strong performance for Gary although I do think his knee injury hampered him this week. He skated to the music great and all his lifts were safe and stable. He has a great connection with Maria and this helps the programme mesh together. Gary received his highest score tonight and it was well deserved. Maria congratulated him on his attitude as the week had been a difficult one and his fighting spirit helped him attack his skate.

Mikey Graham and Melanie
Music: Ring of Fire – Johnny Cash
Mikey had a near miss with the toe picks this week but managed to recover. I thought that this was a fun programme and was good to watch. He is very stable in the lifts and seems to have a good relationship with Melanie, which comes across on the ice. There were some clever moves in this routine which were executed well. I don’t think that this was his strongest skating routine but it was great performance wise.

The Skate-off
Sharron and Emily were in the skate off and to be honest it was very close between them. Emily stayed to skate another week and we said goodbye to Sharron. I hope Emily puts the work in this week otherwise I fear she could be in the same position next week.