Exclusive: Dancing On Ice judges want £60k pay rise

By Lara Gould, TV Editor 6/07/2008

Winner Suzanne Shaw (Pic:Rex)

Dancing On Ice judges have demanded a £60,000 pay rise to sign up for the next series.

The panel - including Robin Cousins, Jason Gardiner, Ruthie Henshall and Nicky Slater - made their demands after the recent X Factor pay row.

Former pro-skater Karen Barber is the only judge not to have asked for more money to take part in the fourth series - due on air in January 2009.

The remaining stars - who previously earned around £60,000 for the show's 12-week-run - now want £120,000.

A tv source revealed: "The fact that the X Factor pay row became so public really made the Dancing On Ice panel sit up and take notice.

"They couldn't help but think, 'Hang on a minute, why aren't we getting that much?"

"They work for 12 weeks, just like the X Factor judges, and the show pulls in the same number of viewers. So they feel it's only fair that they are rewarded in the same way.

"They aren't a greedy bunch - they know they earn a lot of money compared to the average man in the street.

"But they feel the programme bosses are unfair paying them so much less than their contemporaries on other shows.

"And they're prepared to fight to get their hands on the extra cash."

Dancing On Ice has proved a huge hit for ITV since it launched in 2006.

The series, hosted by This Morning presenter Philip Schofield and former lingerie model Holly Willoughby, regularly pulls in more than 10 million viewers - the same as the X Factor.

The series sees household names paired with pro-skate partners as they perform a new skate routine each week in front the show's tough talking judges.

Next year's line-up is tipped to include axed EastEnders star Joe Swash - better known as Albert Square wideboy Mickey Miller - and Emmerdale beauty Roxanne Pallett.

More than 11 million viewers tuned in to see former Hear'Say singer Suzanne Shaw beat Hollyoaks heartthrob Chris Fountain to win the third series.

Previous winners of the coveted title include ex-England rugby ace Kyran Bracken and former Coronation Street star Gaynor Faye.

Last year's X Factor final, which was won by Leon Jackson, pulled in more than 12million viewers on the big night.

Last night an ITV spokesman said: "We do not comment on individual artists' contracts."

WHAT THE OTHERS GET

The x Factor panel judges pocket hundreds of thousands more than their counterparts on Dancing On Ice. Newcomer Cheryl Cole - who replaced Sharon Osbourne - takes home £210k while Dannii Minogue gets £600k. Longest-serving judge Louis Walsh earns £1m. Simon Cowell will not disclose his salary - but he has a £20million "golden handcuf fs" deal with ITV to do the X Factor until 2010.