Insiders recently accused Dancing On Ice star Joe-Warren Plant of having figure skating lessons before his training started with Vanessa Bauer.
And the Emmerdale actor, 18, kept a low profile on Monday in a beige-coloured hoodie and shorts as he wrapped up a late-night training session with his professional skating partner, 24.
He appeared to brush off the accusations of a ‘fix’ as he left the Blackpool Pleasure Beach ice rink and headed home in the same taxi as Vanessa.
Casual: Dancing On Ice’s Joe-Warren Plant kept a low profile on Monday in a beige-coloured hoodie and shorts alongside his pro partner Vanessa Bauer, amid accusations he had skating lessons prior to the show
Joe-Warren made sure to wrap up warm as he sported a black jacket and leggings.
He injected a splash of colour with a camouflage face mask and turquoise trainers as he carried a plastic bag and suitcase away from the venue.
Meanwhile Vanessa stood out from the crowd in a pink leopard print face covering and coral leggings.
She boosted her petite frame with chunky black boots and bundled up in a waterproof jacket as she decided to go make-up free for training.
Practice: The actor, 18, appeared to brush off the ‘fix row’ as he left the Blackpool Pleasure Beach ice rink after training and headed home in the same taxi as his skating partner, 24
The professional skater draped a black sports bag over her shoulder and towed a marble-patterned suitcase, with her initials ‘VPB’ emblazoned on the side.
The DOI duo exited in the same vehicle, despite Joe already living in Blackpool at home with his parents.
Last Tuesday, Joe’s fellow celeb contestant on the show, Sonny Jay, weighed in on the skating lessons row.
The Capital FM presenter, 27, discussed the furore surrounding reports Joe-Warren had prior training, with his co-hosts Sian Welby and Roman Kemp.
Sonny admitted that whether the actor has had prior lessons or not, he thought he should be allowed to get on with it due to his young age.
Pop of colour: Vanessa stood out from the crowd in a pink leopard print face covering and coral leggings
He said: ‘We’ve gotta remember he’s 18-years-old, he’s on there, he just wants to enjoy it and all that sort of stuff.
‘Like, I don’t know, I think it’s a bit harsh to be honest, he’s so young.’
Sian asked him: ‘Do you think it’s the pressure? Do you feel a lot of pressure?’
While Sonny replied: ‘There is a lot of pressure. No one wants to do badly, I mean, again, no one wants to fall over in front of millions of people, do you know what I mean?
‘And that’s the show, it’s just completely out of your comfort zone. And if he’s obviously had lessons – if he has, I don’t even know if this is true…’
Natural beauty: She boosted her frame with chunky black boots and bundled up in a waterproof jacket as she decided to go make-up free for training
Roman added: ‘Do you think the other contestants would care? Because obviously I know you don’t care, but do you think the other contestants would care?’
Sonny said: ‘To be honest, I don’t. Again, he’s so young, just let him…’ While Roman concluded: ‘He’s 18 years old, yeah, why not?’
According to The Sun, some of the other professionals on the show are unimpressed and feel Joe-Warren has an unfair advantage over the other celebrities.
The skaters are also said to be annoyed at Vanessa’s recent insistence that the actor does not have any prior skating experience.
Vanessa recently wrote online: ‘Joe has never skated before and was definitely not a natural.’
An insider said: ‘To repeatedly say Joe is a complete amateur is just nonsense. He might not be the most accomplished skater, as viewers saw on Sunday night with his fall, but he’s far from a novice.
‘He took lessons in figure skating in Blackpool before he was officially partnered with Vanessa.
‘He’s not broken any rules and he’s not kept it a secret from the producers, but it’s not exactly in the spirit of the competition where everyone starts from scratch.’
ITV has since denied the claims, telling MailOnline: ‘It’s completely untrue.’
It comes after stars of the show were said to be ‘livid’ when they learned Vanessa has continued living with her boyfriend Rory McCall as the latest series is underway.
Finished for the day: The Dancing On Ice duo exited in the same vehicle, despite Joe already living in Blackpool at home with his parents
Some pro skaters have reportedly accused the show’s bosses of endangering their Covid-19 bubble by letting the dancer stay with her personal trainer beau.
It is claimed that other Dancing On Ice stars have been ordered to separate from their families to stop the spread of coronavirus amid strict safety rules.
A source told The Sun: ‘Many of us are livid, we have given up our families for months, and she’s carrying on as normal because everyone bangs on about how sexy she is. It feels like one rule for some and another for the rest of us.’
While another insider added: ‘We are being ultra-cautious about everything because we all want the series to be safe, but if Vanessa is living with her boyfriend that’s an obvious issue.’
Not bothered! On Tuesday Joe’s fellow celeb contestant on the show Sonny Jay weighed in on the skating lessons row
Livid: Some skaters have reportedly accused the show’s bosses of endangering their Covid-19 bubble by letting Vanessa stay with her boyfriend Rory McCall (pictured)