Hamish Gaman has broken his silence after being axed from Dancing On Ice.
It was reported earlier this week that the professional skater, 38, would be replaced in the upcoming series, set to kick off in January.
And on Saturday, Hamish made a formal announcement on Twitter, claiming that producers told him they were not bringing him back in a bid to ‘freshen up the line-up.’
Speaking out: Dancing On Ice’s Hamish Gaman has broken his silence after being axed from the show
Lamenting the end of his journey on the ITV show, Hamish wrote: ‘Announcement ⛸ Hi everyone. I’m sad to confirm that I’m not returning to Dancing On Ice this year. The producers told me that they weren’t bringing me back because they wanted to freshen up the lineup.
‘I was completely surprised by their decision and I’ve been left confused and struggling to make sense of everything that’s happened.’
He paid tribute to his Dancing On Ice skating partner, Vanessa Bauer, and continued the post: ‘@vanessabauer_skates and I are still skating partners and I’m devastated that we won’t be skating together on the show anymore.’
Breaking the news: It was reported earlier this week that the professional skater, 38, would be replaced in the upcoming series and he made a formal announcement on Twitter on Saturday
Sad: Lamenting the end of his journey on the ITV show, Hamish claimed that producers told him they were not bringing him back in a bid to ‘freshen up the line-up’
Gutted: ‘I’m devastated that we won’t be skating together on the show anymore’ Hamish said of Vanessa Bauer (the pros pictured February 2020 on the show)
‘I’ll miss you so much’: Vanessa responded to his announcement and urged him to ‘keep being you’
Hamish concluded on a rather thankful and nostalgic note: ‘Thank you for all of your love and support during my time on the show. I’m going to miss skating for you. ❤️#dancingonice @dancingonice’.
The Chertsey-born skater penned an identical message on Instagram, to which Vanessa responded: ‘ I’ll miss you so much [sic] Keep being you and I look forward to skating with you still ⛸❤️.’
Fans of the skating contest did not take kindly to the news.
Devastated: Fans of the skating contest did not take kindly to the news
‘Devastated to hear this,’ one replied, ‘you are such an incredible skater and you will be missed. Not going to be the same without you. Good Luck for the future #dancingonice’.
Another chimed: ‘No way, you are one of the best pros on the show, wont be the same without you’.
The new series is set to start in January 2022, with Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby once again at the helm.
Incoming: The new series is set to kick off in January 2022, with Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby once again at the helm
In the 2021 series, both Hamish and Yebin Mok – who has also been replaced – were injured, with Hamish (who was partnered with Faye Brookes) snapping a tendon in his finger.
Whereas Yebin suffered a leg injury during a freak accident with partner Graham Bell which saw her accidentally fall on his blade and slice her leg, with the star needing surgery after her tendons were exposed.
While it’s not known if injury had a part to play in their exits, Yebin’s main reason for her absence could be due to the fact that she gave birth to her second child last week.
Baby joy: While it’s not known if injury had a part to play in their exits, Yebin Mok’s main reason for her absence could be due to the fact that she gave birth to her second child last week
The new instalment will see a big shake-up among the pros as three new faces join the show, including a Netflix star.
Klabera Komini has also been replaced in the line-up, while favourites returning include Matt Evers, Alexandra Shauman and husband Łukasz Różycki.
Andy Buchanan and wife Robin Johnstone, Mark Hanretty Brendyn Hatfield, Vanessa Bauer, Karina Manta, Joe Johnson and reigning champion Angela Egan will all be coming back.
New girl on the block: The new series will see a big shake-up among the pros as three new faces join the show, including a Netflix star (pictured, newcomer Morgan Swales)
Newbies: Morgan (left) and Tippy Packard (right) are the new professional skaters joining the line-up
But the pro line-up will see some changes as GB figure skater Morgan Swales, three-time Hong Kong Champion Tippy Packard and Team USA skater Colin Grafton have signed up for the show.
And this won’t be 22-year-old Morgan’s first taste of fame as she previously appeared in Netflix series Zero Chill as lead character Kayla MacBentley’s figure skating double.
Meanwhile, Colin was inspired to begin skating aged seven after watching the 1998 winter Olympics and since went on to have a successful career as a pairs skater for Team USA.
Dream come true: Colin was inspired to begin skating aged seven after watching the 1998 winter Olympics and since went on to have a successful career as a pairs skater for Team USA