Dancing on Ice narrowly avoids disaster over 'awkward' pairing between skater and actress

ITV bosses wanted to pair Chelsee Healey with Sylvian Longchambon on Dancing on Ice but since she is friends with Jennifer Metcalfe, they changed their mind, it has been claimed

Dancing on Ice narrowly avoided disaster due to a potentially "awkward" pairing, it has been claimed.

Bosses of the ITV show reportedly wanted Hollyoaks star Chelsee Healey to skate with dancer Sylvian Longchambon. However, when it emerged that the 36-year-old actress is friends with Sylvian's ex, Jennifer Metcalfe, 41, they changed their mind in order to avoid any awkwardness, it has been claimed.

Chelsee was eventually paired with professional skater Andy Buchanan on the show. Her friend Jennifer, known for her role as Mercedes McQueen in the Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, previously dated Sylvian, who is now married to Coronation Street actress Samia Ghadie.

A Dancing on Ice source told The Sun: "ITV bosses originally wanted to pair Chelsee up with Sylvian but decided against it pretty quickly. She's close friends with Jennifer Metcalfe and to skate with Jen's ex after all the Dancing On Ice drama and how they split up - it would be a nightmare.

"The tension would be unbearable - everyone thinks Sylvian will be avoiding Chelsee backstage at the show because of the history. She's really happy to be skating with Andy." Sylvian, 44, married Samia, 42, in 2016. The pair welcomed a son together in September 2015. Samia also has a daughter, Freya, with her ex-husband, Matt Smith.

Sylvian previously dated Jennifer for two years, after they were paired on Dancing on Ice in 2011. However, the skater split up with the actress on Christmas Day in 2013, and began dating Samia around that time. Samia denied having anything to do with the split.

At the time, Jennifer said she felt "gutted" about the split and her friends rallied round to help her get over her heartache. A close pal told The Mirror in 2013: "Her friends are angry and have come out fighting for Jen. She's been deeply wounded. She's a beautiful, loyal person who's been treated in the worst possible way."

Talking about her stint on DOI, Chelsee said she is excited but not too confident - and added the only time she goes skating is with her daughter, Coco. Last month, she told Closer: "I can perform and I do have rhythm, but I don't know whether that will stand up on the ice, as I'm a shocking ice-skater. I'm not the best, the only time I go skating is when I'm on one of those penguins with Coco!"

She also revealed she asked Jennifer for advice, saying: "I've asked my Hollyoaks friends Jen Metcalfe and Jorgie Porter, who've done the show before, for advice. I told them to give me a few lessons. I definitely won't be as good as them! I think the line-up is fabulous, I know Ferne McCann already, and I'm so excited that Charlie Brooks is doing it because I grew up watching her - she's the best signing ever."

The Mirror has contacted ITV for comment.