After premiering on screens almost 20 years ago in 2006, the future of remains uncertain. While has yet to confirm its 2025 return, former contestant and finalist Brendan Cole suggests the show may have run its course. The star-studded competition series was initially put on hiatus in 2014 but later rebooted four years later with and fronting the show.

As the 2025 finale fast approaches, the series, which saw recently , could be ending yet again. This comes after a steady drop in ratings since it was revived, with last year's instalment drawing in its smallest live audience of all time when 2.9 million tuned in to one episode, a drop of 700,000 on the 3.6 million who'd watched the opener a few weeks earlier.

According to : "This year, the show could only manage 2.9 million for the launch, and by the fifth episode, another half a million viewers had melted away, leaving just 2.4 million."

2022 star Brendan Cole spoke on series 17 and stated: "The show is the same format, they haven't really changed anything. I thought they might try and change the format and make it a little different to what it has been in the past."

Referring to the multitude of shock drop-outs this year, via he added: "The contestants and pros this year have had a lot of issues, and a lot of injuries.

"We've already seen everything, so there needs to be more excitement somehow. They had a headbanger performed earlier in the series, but that's not actually that challenging, it's more about momentum than skill."

If Dancing on Ice does get renewed, Brendan stated: "I want to see groundbreaking stuff, so maybe they need to find contestants that can achieve that."

Comparing the show to its rival, which he also starred in, the dancer added: "When I watch the choreography I think there's something missing, something that Strictly has. Strictly has maintained a high standard and pushed boundaries.

"The quality of dancing on Strictly is better now than it was in my day. That's potentially why it maintains such a high audience.

"Even the judges on DOI are too lovely in my opinion. Personally, I believe they need some grit in there. The contestants have had enough training and could use the critique," Brendan added.