You are in > manchester.com  > News > Javelin star Steve Backley thrown off Dancing On Ice

TV

Javelin star Steve Backley thrown off Dancing On Ice

18/02/2008

Former Olympic athlete Steve Backley has become the latest contestant to be voted off Dancing On Ice.

Steve and partner Susanne earned their highest score of the series so far with their performance but found themselves in the bottom two after the judges' points and public votes were combined.

And a fourth skate-off in a row was a bridge too far for Steve, with the judges choosing to save ex-Coronation Street actress Zaraah Abrahams.

Steve had nicknamed his lift during the dance 'The Boomerang' as he and Susanne were desperate to return for next week's show, but Jason Gardiner told Steve: "This is one boomerang that's not coming back."

As his daughter cried at her father's exit, Steve admitted: "I'm disappointed to go and there is no getting away from that. I am gutted."

He added: "Having the prosthetic hip is a big deal, my stumbling block is getting over that but I am delighted to have got this far, to have worked with all these people, Chris and Jayne as well and even the judges."

The week six show was also marked by a furious row between the judges, after Nicky Slater awarded Suzanne Shaw and her partner Matt only four points despite the complexity of their routine.

Calling the dance "the best routine of the evening", Karen Barber pressed Nicky to explain her low score, with Nicky responding: "There is very little skating on the ice. A couple of steps then lift, a couple of steps then lift."

Karen told Nicky she'd missed the point of the whole thing, while Jason awarded the pair five points and added: "It's not easy doing those lifts and tricks and I think you are missing everything."

Chris Fountain and partner Frankie again led the pack with 24.5 points, despite Chris having dropped Frankie on her head while practising their difficult routine.