Watching Dancing on Ice Friday this week it was revealed that Michael Ball would be the mystery judge standing in for Robin Cousins while he fulfils his Olympic duties on the BBC. Michael commented that Hayley was the stand-out skater for him and Danniella had also made great improvements. Dan and Hayley’s fall was shown again with great debate over whether Daniel was being a gentleman and taking the blame for the fault!

In the replay it did seem that Dan’s foot slipped which was why the lift came tumbling down.

And so to the main programme, which was a Valentine’s Day special and also the 26th anniversary of Torvill and Deans gold medal win at the Olympics! For the very first time, all of the skaters, professional partners and Torvill and Dean took to the ice to perform the opening number set to Huey Lewis and the News ‘The Power of Love’.

This weeks required element was the ‘shadow step sequence’ which required the skaters and partners to keep in unison with their partner. The ice panel had a slight move this week with Karen taking Robin’s place as head judge whilst he is away reporting.

Danniella Westbrook and Matthew
Music: Florence and the Machine - You’ve got the love
A strong, opening skate from Danniella with great presentation and a wonderful smile. The required element was well executed and the lifts came off with ease. Just a small criticism would be that her toe wasn’t pointed when she exited the lifts but this will come with practise and is a very minor thing. A score of 20 was well deserved for this routine and although there was a slight stumble near to the end, this did not detract from the performance.

Danny Young and Frankie
Music: Jackie Wilson – Higher and Higher
I am still undecided about what I think about Danny. I always expect him to produce more or something of a higher quality. His routine had some nice content but it looks slightly unpolished. Frankie questioning the judges in the manner she did was slightly unfair. I understand that it is frustrating but she needs to be realistic and see what the other skaters are doing. Danny is improving as a skater and he is consistent but things still need to be worked on. The transitions need to be improved and I think Nicky and Jason were correct in saying that the programme needed ‘knitting together’.

Emily Atack and Fred
Music: Whitney Houston – Saving All My Love for You
Emily didn't perform as well as last week although she really tried hard throughout. I think her rib pain hadn’t helped as practice had been interrupted. The lifts were nice but she was stiff in the knee on the exits which made the routine look slightly stilted. The end lift position was a little ungainly on the dismount. She didn’t look confident out on the ice but I like that she fought through it. The score was low but I hope she comes back next week fighting fit and with a fighting attitude.

Mikey Graham and Melanie
Music: Robert Knight - Love on a Mountain Top
Mikey looked much improved this week and his shadow step sequence was perfectly in unison with Melanie. Once again he smiled through the routine, which lifted the performance and made it enjoyable to watch. The lifts were stable and he looked confident in his skating. The higher marks reflected the stronger skate this week. Mikey still needs to work on his presentation but overall a much better skate.

Sharron Davies and Pavel
Music: Belinda Carlisle - The Same Thing
Another improved performance from Sharron – she seems to be improving every week. She looked great in a hot pink leotard although I would love to see her in a dress, just once! Apparently, she feels more comfortable in an outfit that resembles a swimming costume so I can’t complain. Musically it was quicker this week and she really attacked it but she needs to finish off her positions, particularly coming out of the lifts. Just pointing the toe and picking up the chin would make it look much better.

Hayley Tammadon and Daniel
Music: Lionel Richie - Endless Love
Hayley and Dan got the routine absolutely spot on this week! It was beautiful to watch, the arm positions were soft and toes were pointed on the exit form lifts. They interpreted the music so well and the highest score of the series was very well deserved. She has come back with a great attitude after her fall last week and produced a great skate. Hayley and Dan look so well together and it shows that they have a great connection. It even moved Karen to tears!

Hilary Jones and Alexandra
Music: Steve Winwood – Higher Love
I thought Hilary did a much better performance this week and his dance lessons with ‘Super Malcolm’ at Pineapple Studios have paid off! His claps were in time with the music and his step sequence wasn’t too bad either. He is starting to lift Alexandra a lot more which is nice to see as he it means his stability and confidence is growing. His highest score to date reflected a better routine and I think the judges got the marks correct – 12 is not particularly a high score but shows the improvement which he has made.

Kieron and Brianne
Music: Aaron Neville / Linda Ronstadt – Don’t Know Much
I thought Kieron did a great job to this song and he skated with confidence. He connected well with Brianne and lifted her with ease. The shadow step sequence had some difficult moves in it, which he completed well. A score of 19.5 reflected this although there were discrepancies between the skating and non-skating judges. I think this shows the difference between his skating and his performance. It was definitely his best skate technically. Kieron needs to start projecting and believing in his ability and hopefully he will have this next week!

Gary Lucy and Maria
Music: Stevie Wonder – My Cherie Amore
Gary is really stable when he lifts Maria, which is great to see. He skated well again and is very consistent in his performances. The pair interacted well during the routine with Gary smiling all the way through. His step sequence was great so I wasn’t sure why Jason was 2 points below some judges in his scoring! Jason’s comments were not justified in my opinion and I really think that some time he goes a little too far! Please will someone get Jason a pair of skates and lets see how he fares on the ice!

The Skate-off
Hilary and Danny were in the skate off and I think I realised the result before anyone had skated! Hilary had a great few weeks in the show and I do think this was the right time for him to leave the competition. I don’t think he could have performed his last routine any better and he did himself justice.