Dancing On Ice professional Alex Demetriou has reportedly been axed from the next series after he is said to have grown close to former contestant Maura Higgins.
It comes amid claims that Denise Van Outen has signed up to the upcoming series as a contestant in a staggering £40,000 deal.
Alex, 29, confirmed he had separated from his wife and fellow Dancing On Ice pro Carlotta Edwards, 30, in April after developing a ‘close bond’ to the Love Island star, 29, on the last series.
Axed! Dancing On Ice professional Alex Demetriou has reportedly been axed from the next series after he is said to have grown close to former contestant Maura Higgins (pictured earlier this year)
And ITV bosses are reportedly ‘desperate’ not to gain ‘a show curse’, like BBC rival Strictly Come Dancing, and are keen to avoid any drama overshadowing the skating.
A source told The Sun: ‘They want to keep the focus of the show on the ice and the marriage rumours surrounding Alex and Carlotta weren’t very on-brand for the family-friendly series’.
An ITV spokesman told the publication that Alex will not be part of the main line-up when the show returns but ‘remains a much loved member’ of the show with ‘potential’ to come back.
It was said Alex and Carlotta’s four-year marriage had ‘collapsed’, following his pairing with Maura on the ITV contest last year, where Alex allegedly became ‘besotted’ with the reality star.
Exciting! It comes amid claims that Denise Van Outen has signed up to the upcoming series as a contestant in a staggering £40,000 deal
However ITV intend for the show to come back ‘bigger and better than ever’ and want to avoid ‘any bad tastes’ from the previous series.
In May, Alex admitted that he and Maura ‘never hid’ the fact that they were ‘close friends’ and their closeness was tough for his estranged wife.
MailOnline has contacted Alex’s representatives and Dancing On Ice for comment.
Close: Alex, 29, confirmed he had separated from his wife and fellow Dancing On Ice pro Carlotta Edwards, 30, in April after developing a ‘close bond’ to the Love Island star, 29, on the last series (pictured on the show)
It comes amid claims Denise Van Outen, 46, has been confirmed for the next series of the skating show and is believed to have signed a deal worth around £40,000, according to the Daily Star.
The Cabaret star is understood to have ‘jumped at the chance’ to take part in the show when it kicks off in January after impressing at an audition last month.
A source told the publication: ‘Bosses are thrilled to have her on board. They know she will give it her all in training and be popular with viewers.’
Confirmation: The professional skater took to his Instagram stories in April to confirm the split and revealed to his followers that it had been a ‘tough time’ for him
The mother-of-one is a natural performer after reaching the final of Strictly Come Dancing in 2012 and playing Roxie Hart in the musical Chicago on Broadway and in the West End.
The TV star is set to start training for the show but is yet to find out who her professional partner is, according to the Daily Star.
Denise rose to fame on The Big Breakfast in 1997 and has recently starred alongside her boyfriend Eddy Boxshall on Channel 4’s Celebrity Gogglebox.
MailOnline has contacted Denise’s representatives and Dancing On Ice for comment.
In April, Alex took to his Instagram stories to confirm the news that he had separated from wife and revealed to his followers that it had been a ‘tough time’ for him
Natural performer: Meanwhile, Denise is a natural performer after reaching the final of Strictly Come Dancing in 2012 (pictured on Saturday night with Dancing On Ice Pro Matt Evers)
In a statement posted on Instagram stories, Alexander said: ‘I’m Sorry I have been quiet on social media recently but it’s been a tough time for me personally.
‘Carlotta and I have separated. Although it saddens me that we can no longer be together, I feel this is best for both of us.
‘I’m looking forward to what the future will bring but in the meantime let’s all say home and stay safe.’
While Alexander went public with a statement, Carlotta has remained silent, and has instead been hauled up in Calgary, Canada with her family.
It comes after a friend of the former couple recently told their marriage troubles ‘came as a shock’, as they were so close before the last Dancing On Ice series.
Close: Denise has recently starred alongside her boyfriend Eddy Boxshall on Channel 4’s Celebrity Gogglebox
A source spoke to The Sun about the visit to reveal: ‘Everything has seemed fine and her family thought they were having a good time.
‘No one in her family suspected anything was up between them, so obviously this has all been quite a shock.’
Earlier this year it was reported that the pair had removed their wedding rings, with Carlotta having flown to her native Canada while Alexander remained in London.
A source told The Sun: ‘Carlotta and Alex are taking a break from their marriage and are trying to work out what they want from the future.
‘Isolation is giving them a lot of time to think and both are with their families.
‘Alex’s friendship with Maura was the first proper crack in their relationship. But now they’re at breaking point.’
All over: Alex confirmed he had separated from wife Carlotta after developing a close friendship with Maura (pictured in 2019)
The insider went on to say that the couple’s friends are of the belief their ‘marriage is over’ due to Alex’s closeness with Maura, adding that the ‘trust’ the pair is ‘shattered’.
They added that at the start of the furore it was believed to have been ‘just a flirtation’ between Maura and Alex, but with the two now in ‘constant contact’, their closeness is now ‘obvious’ for everyone to see.
The source went on to say that Carlotta was initially ‘hell bent’ on keeping up the ‘pretence’ of her marriage, but has now come to terms with the situation and is reassessing what to do next.
A spokesman for Maura told MailOnline: ‘Maura and Alex had a great friendship whilst training for DOI this was always and has always been just professional, she regards him as a close friend and will continue to do so although they have not spoken in a few weeks.
‘Maura has been single since splitting with Curtis, and is spending her time focusing on herself and some exciting projects she has lined up in the near future.’
Relationship breakdown: It was reported that the pair had removed their wedding rings, with Carlotta having flown to her native Canada while Alexander remained in London (pictured in 2019)