Billie Shepherd has quit Dancing on Ice after suffering an accident on the rink.
The former TOWIE star is the third contestant to leave the ITV show since it started, after Denise Van Outen was forced to pull out and Rufus Hound quit after testing positive for Covid-19.
It was revealed that Billie had quit Dancing on Ice, which has already seen its fair share of disasters since it first aired, as she suffered a moderate concussion after hitting head while rehearsing with professional partner Mark Hanretty.
ITV said in a statement, "During rehearsals for this week's show, Billie Shepherd has had a fall.
"Taking the expert advice of the Dancing On Ice medical team, she sadly cannot perform this weekend and will therefore now withdraw from the competition.
"We wish Billie well as she now takes the time to rest and recover."
The show's rules say that contestants can only miss one week of the show and Billie was already over the quota, after missing last weekend's show because her grandmother sadly passed away.
After the announcement, Billie took to social media to thank everyone who had supported her and partner Mark Hanretty on the show so far.
She wrote, 'Our first and last dance 💔⛸
'I am so so sad that our @dancingonice journey has come to an end after an accident in rehearsals on Friday causing me a head injury, forcing us out of the competition 😔'.
Fellow TOWIE star and former Dancing on Ice contestant Gemma Collins, who also took a tumble on the rink during her 2019 appearance, commented on the post and congratulated Billie on her performance so far.
'You was FANTASTIC 💗💗💗 take it easy Billie 💗💗💗', she wrote.
While current contestant Rebekah Vardy said, 'Seeing your empty dressing room is horrible @billiefaiersofficial ❤️ Miss you guys! Hope you’re better soon xxx'.
Denise Van Outen commented, 'Love you Billie & Mark ❤️😘' and Love Island 2020 star Shaughna Phillips said, '😢😢 so so gutting! But you were amazing and should be so proud of yourself! ❤️'.
The organisers of Dancing on Ice haven't confirmed whether Billie will be replaced in the competition. However, host Philip Schofield sparked concern on This Morning last week when he revealed that both reserve contestants had already been used in place of others who had been forced to leave.
READ MORE: Dancing On Ice line-up 2021: All the celebrities on this year's show
Amy Tinkler, former Olympian gymnast, and comedian Matt Richardson are confirmed as the replacements for Denise and Rufus on the show.
Dancing on Ice will continue tonight at 6pm on ITV, without Billie Shepherd.
-
New data highlights the main disparities when it comes to parents requesting flexible working, and sadly we're not surprised by the findingsWe'll give you three guesses as to which parent is more likely to ask for flexible working arrangements from their employer...
-
Who did Bluey have a baby with? Fan theories are running wild following the cartoon’s season 3 finale (our money is on Mackenzie)The 'Surprise!’ episode has really done what it says on the tin - and many can’t get over the shock of Bluey having a baby
