Dancing On Ice's Bez has broken his silence on the fix row overshadowing the ITV show to say that contestants with dance experience do have an advantage.

Viewers have been complaining that some of the contestants on this year's skating competition have an unfair advantage due to their extensive dance training, including Brendan Cole who was a professional on Strictly. 

Now Happy Mondays star Bez, 57, - who left the competition on Sunday after being in the skate-off against Sally Dynevor -  has said that being a dancer will make your skating 'really graceful and beautiful'.   

He told The Sun: 'For everybody, we're all in the same boat. Everyone has to learn how to skate and that is such a hard skill to learn.

'You've got to give everyone credit for it. To do it on ice, it's such a difficult skill.

'Being a dancer will make your skating appear really graceful and beautiful.

'But they've all started off in the same boat and they all have the work and I think it's not fair to criticise people because they have got dance skills.' 

Bez also told the publication that he knew he would be eliminated when he ended up in the dance off, saying he 'wasn't surprised' by the decision and that he had been 'expecting it from day one'.  

Fans were split over the judges' decision to send Bez home and took to Twitter to say it could be a 'fix' as Corrie's Sally was an ITV star.

One said: 'Don't forget people. Sally works for ITV. Dancing on Ice is screened by ITV. Need I say more.'

A second said: 'Bez does more skating on his own whereas Sally has to be hand held all the way. But then he's not in Corrie on an ITV show.'

ITV has been contacted by MailOnline for a comment. 

Bez was voted off Dancing On Ice on Sunday after finding himself in the dreaded skate-off alongside Sally 58.

Media personality Bez - who was partnered with Angela Egan - failed to impress the judges during the skate-off and he was sent home instead of the soap star. 

Guest judge Dame Arlene Phillips, 78, said: 'I'm choosing to save Sally because she is the most beautiful actress and proved herself with her skating this week.'

The judges voted unanimously to save Sally, thereby sending Bez home from the show.

Elsewhere, Brendan Cole, 45, received the first ten score of the series from Arlene, after he performed an eye-catching routine alongside Brendyn Hatfield.

The professional skater stepped in for Brendon's original partner, Vanessa Bauer, who previously tested positive for COVID-19.

Ballroom dancer Brendan and his new partner scored 47 out of a possible 50 for their routine, which they performed to the sound of Beggin' by Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons. 

Meanwhile, Bez has spoken out about wearing a helmet during his time on Dancing On Ice, with the music star previously claiming his protective equipment actually helped him avoid 'serious injury' over the last few weeks. 

Speaking about his skating struggles, Bez shared: 'I wear every pad you can possibly think of, which has saved me from serious injury.' 

Despite this, he's still suffered a few bumps and bruises during his training sessions. 

He previously said: 'I fell down the other day and landed on a part I never had pads on.'