Ashley Banjo and Oti Mabuse are making a point – they will be pals on Dancing on Ice but nothing more.
When two-time Strictly champ Oti, 31, joins dancer Ashley, 33, as a judge romance will be the last thing on their minds.
In fact she reckons the only way she is going to get hot on the ice show is with a heater under the table.
Like Strictly Come Dancing, the ITV show is said to be beset by a love curse, with celebrities splitting up and dating professional partners.
After Love Island ’s Wes Nelson and Kem Cetinay appeared on DoI they split from their respective partners, Megan Barton-Hanson and Amber Davies.
X Factor 's Jake Quickenden called off an engagement during the show and EastEnders Shona McGarty and Matt Lapinskas broke up after the series.
Corrie’s Samia Ghadie ended up marrying her ice partner Sylvain Longchambon in 2016. They now have a six-year-old son.
But Diversity star and 2009 Britain’s Got Talent winner Ashley, who has known Oti for several years, has no fear of such emotional turmoil during the show. He said she is trusted implicitly by his family, including his wife of seven years, dancer and talent manager Francesca Abbott.
He said he loves spending time with Oti who is “an auntie to my kids”.
Ashley – dad to Rose, two, and baby son Micah, – said: “We are good friends. She has semi-adopted my baby. When she danced with Diversity in the past she would have my baby on her shoulder and was carrying her around.
“You trust her with things like that. You always have a wild time when Oti is around. She’s always doing a TikTok in the corner, she is very positive.
“My wife isn’t worried about the love curse, I bring her to rehearsals with me and she’s friends with Oti, they are in regular contact.”
Yet Ashley reckons a hint of passion between skating couples is important for the chemistry of Dancing on Ice.
He said: “If you get through one of these shows without any romance there is something wrong.”
Ashley said rivalry is already heating up. He reckons Pussycat Dolls star Kimberley Wyatt, 39, and ex-Strictly pro Brendan Cole, 45, are early contenders.
And former BGT judge Ashley said he was not surprised his old boss Simon Cowell, 62, had got engaged to Lauren Silverman, 44, mum to his seven-year-old son Eric.
He said: “I think it’s about time he settled down. I always knew he’d get married. The moment I saw him with his son he changed. It was inevitable getting married and doing that whole thing.”
Meanwhile Oti has other concerns as she takes John Barrowman’s old chair.
She said: “Literally the first question I asked was will I be cold?
“I am not a daredevil on ice, I can skate but like in a straight line, I won’t be doing laps or racing. I don’t even like being cold. Me and Jayne (Torvill) are going to get a heater at the bottom of the table.”
She is excited to be alongside her old pal and legends Torvill and Dean but she stressed the move to ITV does not mean she is parting from the BBC.
“Times have changed – people work on all channels. It’s nice to be learning different things: how channels work, how producers work, how presenters work.”
Oti has competed in seven Strictlys but has no plans to challenge host Holly Willoughby or Jayne over outfits. “Leave me out of this frock off,” she joked.
Dancing on Ice returns Sunday night at 6.30 on ITV1
