EXCLUSIVE: Dancing On Ice star forced to QUIT the ITV show after breaking ankle in horror fall

Gogglebox star Stephen Lustig-Webb has quit Dancing On Ice after breaking his ankle in a horror fall, MailOnline can reveal.

Stephen, 52, left the Channel 4 show after a decade with aspirations to pursue further TV opportunities, and was quickly signed up to the ITV dance series.

But after suffering a freak accident in training on Wednesday, he was rushed to the Queen Alexandra hospital in Portsmouth, where medics told him he had broken his left ankle and would be on crutches for at least the next three months.

The TV personality underwent an operation to put metal plates into his ankle for additional support, but there’s no hope of him getting back on the ice.

Sources close to Stephen say he had been ‘thoroughly enjoying the new challenge’ and getting to know judges Torvill and Dean as well as the other celebrity contestants and is ‘gutted’ to be losing his place in the competition before the show has even started.

Gogglebox star Stephen Lustig-Webb has quit Dancing On Ice after breaking his ankle in a horror fall, MailOnline can reveal

After suffering a freak accident in training on Wednesday, Stephen was rushed to the Queen Alexandra hospital in Portsmouth, where medics told him he had broken his ankle and would be on crutches for at least the next three months 

A source close to Stephen told MailOnline that he had been ‘thoroughly enjoying the new challenge’ and getting to know his co-stars such as West End star Amber Davies, former Coronation Street actor Ryan Thomas and Made In Chelsea’s Miles Nazaire  

Stephen joined Lorraine to announce he was joining the lineup of stars this year, before his dreams of performing live on the ITV series came crashing down this week

They said: ‘Stephen is devastated… he is absolutely gutted.

‘He was loving training but while turning on his skates he snapped his ankle and was rushed to hospital.

‘After two days and an operation to put metal plates into his left ankle, medics informed him that there wasn’t a chance he could return to training, so he had no other option but to pull out of the competition.’

A spokesperson for Dancing On Ice said: ‘Stephen Lustig-Webb has had to withdraw from the show due to an injury he sustained to his ankle during training. 

‘He is still very much a part of the Dancing On Ice family, we will be helping to support Stephen and we wish him well with his recovery.’ 

It is the latest blow to Dancing On Ice as bosses are still working out who will host the series when it returns to ITV in January. 

Holly Willoughby, 42, is yet to decide whether she will continue to be at the helm after announcing she is taking an extended break from television. 

The TV star suddenly quit This Morning last week after 14 years when an alleged plot to kidnap and murder her was exposed.

A spokesperson for ITV confirmed that Stephen has been forced to withdraw from the show but say he ‘continues to be part of the Dancing On Ice family’ 

Stephen left Gogglebox after a decade on the show earlier this year in the hope of pursuing further opportunities on TV 

Stephen Mulhern confirmed to MailOnline this week that he is in talks with producers to front Dancing On Ice and said working with close friend Holly would be a great opportunity

And her former Dancing On Ice co-host Phillip Schofield, 61, was sacked by ITV in May after he admitted to lying about having an affair with a much younger colleague. 

Stephen Mulhern confirmed to MailOnline this week that he is in talks with producers to front Dancing On Ice and said working with close friend Holly again would be a ‘great’ opportunity. 

He explained: ‘I used to do the spinoff show Defrosted and when I stood in for Phil when he wasn’t too well, he had Covid, I really enjoyed it and it was so lovely being back with Holly.

‘We had a great time together plus lots of the team were the same from when I did the ITV2 show.

‘We are talking about it, but I promise you now that nothing is confirmed but if it happens, it will be absolutely amazing… if it doesn’t, look, it doesn’t. I promise you I would tell you if we had it confirmed at this point.

‘The lineup is the best it has been in a few years… I am keeping across the lineup, just in case… It is a huge staple, and it has been around.’

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