This is who two-time Dancing On Ice winner Ray Quinn thinks should take the 2018 DOI title…

Ray Quinn

by Emma Dodds |
Published on

Ray Quinn has won Dancing On Ice not once, but TWICE - so who does he think should win DOI 2018? We had a chat to find out...

When you think of Ray Quinn, you either immediately think to his runner-up status on The X Factor, OR you think of his double win on Dancing On Ice.

The actor/singer/theatre performer took to the ice in two series of the show - first winning the show in 2009 before returning in 2014, when all the previous winners competed in an All Star's show. And he won that too!

GALLERY: Can you remember every winner of Dancing On Ice? Here's a little refresher...

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CLOSER Dancing On Ice winners - slider with cover pic

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Think you can remember all the winners of Dancing On Ice? Let's see...

Gaynor Faye, Dancing On Ice2 of 12
CREDIT: ITV/ Dancing On Ice

Gaynor Faye, 2006

Emmerdale actress Gaynor Faye won the first ever series of Dancing On Ice alongside her professional ice skating partner Daniel Whiston, under the watchful eye of judges Robin Cousins, Karen Barber, Nicky Slater, Jason Gardiner and Karen Kresge.

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CREDIT: ITV/ Dancing On Ice

Kyran Bracken, 2007

Rugby player Kyran Bracken won the show - and the hearts of viewers - in the second series. Beating Clare Buckfield in the final showdown, Kyran won with his professional partner Melanie Lambert.

Suzanne Shaw, Dancing On Ice4 of 12
CREDIT: ITV/ Dancing On Ice

Suzanne Shaw, 2008

Hear'Say singer Suzanne Shaw won the 2008 series with professional ice skater Matt Evers. Both of their final performances scored a perfect 30/30, which was the first time that had happened on the show, beating runner-up Chris Fountain.

Ray Quinn, Dancing On Ice5 of 12
CREDIT: ITV/ Dancing On Ice

Ray Quinn, 2009

The X Factor star-turned-Broadway star Ray Quinn won the show in 2009 alongside his professional partner Maria Filippov. The couple beat out journalist Donal MacIntyre and his partner Florentine Houdinière with their final performance. He also won the returners' series in 2014.

Hayley Tamaddon, Dancing On Ice6 of 12
CREDIT: ITV/ Dancing On Ice

Hayley Tamaddon, 2010

Corrie and Emmerdale actress Hayley won with second-time winner Daniel Whiston, beating Hollyoaks star Gary Lucy to the top spot. She also made it to the final of the returners' show in 2014, finishing second to Ray Quinn.

Sam Attwater, Dancing On Ice7 of 12
CREDIT: ITV/ Dancing On Ice

Sam Attwater, 2011

EastEnders' actor Sam Attwater won the coveted prize of first place in 2011 wth his partner Brianne Delcourt, beating TV presenter Laura Hamilton. The pair also returned for the 2014 series, but finished fourth.

Matthew Wolfenden, Dancing On Ice8 of 12
CREDIT: ITV/ Dancing On Ice

Matthew Wolfenden, 2012

Emmerdale actor Matthew Wolfenden won the 2012 series with his professional ice skating partner Nina Ulanova, beating fellow soap star Jorgie Porter to the top. This was also the year that Louie Spence joined the judging panel, if you remember...

Beth Tweddle, Dancing On Ice9 of 12
CREDIT: ITV/ Dancing On Ice

Beth Tweddle, 2013

Olympic champion gymnast Beth Tweddle won the 2013 series alongside her partner Daniel Whiston in his THIRD win on the show. She beat out EastEnders actor Matt Lapinskas and his partner Brianne Delcourt, and came third in the 2014 returners' series with Łukasz Różycki.

Jake Quickenden10 of 12
CREDIT: ITV Pictures

Jake Quickenden, 2018

The X Factor and I'm A Celeb! runner-up Jake Quickenden finally won a reality show when he took part in Dancing On Ice in 2018 with his professional partner Vanessa Bauer, beating Coronation Street's Brooke Vincent - and she was NOT happy.

James Jordan, 201911 of 12
CREDIT: ITV Pictures

James Jordan, 2019

James Jordan and Alexandra Schauman won 2019's trophy despite some fierce competition from Love Island's Wes Nelson and his partner, last year's winning professional Vanessa Bauer.Judges called their rendition of the famous Bolero "the best the show had ever seen" despite the first dance of the final failing to top the leader board. Early on in the 2019 competition, James was criticized for having an unfair advantage over the other contestants because of his extensive dancing experience.

Joe Swash, 202012 of 12
CREDIT: ITV Pictures

Joe Swash, 2020

Joe Swash and Alex Murphy took home the 2020 trophy, despite Diversity's Peri Kiely being the bookies favourite since the beginning of the competition.However, it wasn't all plain sailing for Joe throughout the competition. Not only did he find himself at the bottom of the leaderboard in week three and have an ear infection, he also had to swap professional dance partners after Alexandra Schauman fell and injured herself during rehearsals, forcing her to drop out of the show.

So we reckon that, aside from the actual Dancing On Ice judging panel, Ray is probably the best person to ask about who will win this year's show.

We spoke to Ray ahead of his performance in the Dancing On Ice national tour, which will see him reunite with Torvill and Dean to perform on the ice once again.

"Technically, the confidence, the content, the story, the partnership and the chemistry... The couple who have it all is Jake and Vanessa. For me, Jake is way ahead of the other contestants," he told us.

WATCH: Dancing On Ice's head judges Torvill and Dean answer Closer Online's quick-fire questions...

But he didn't rule out an underdog win from the other two finalists, Brooke Vincent and Max Evans, explaining: "Max for me is incredible. He's technical, powerful – a fantastic skater.

"It's a shame his partner hasn't been well, he's had to deal with a lot this series, but as a skater and as a power skater and with the tricks, the elements, the big lifts, he's got it there."

Dancing On Ice
The Dancing On Ice 2018 finalists ©ITV Pictures

Ray admitted that Max might have an edge over the two, saying: "He's a sportsman so he's confident, driven, fearless and that's what you need. You need to have that fearless factor."

But he was also cheering Brooke on, telling us: "Brooke has really come up trumps and put the hard work in."

GALLERY: Here's everything you need to know about Dancing On Ice legend Ray Quinn...

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Everything you need to know about Ray Quinn STACKED

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CREDIT: REX/Shutterstock

Who is Ray Quinn's ex-wife?

Ray Quinn was married to fellow theatre actor Emma Stephens. They began dating in 2009 after playing Danny Zuko and Sandy in Grease on the West End, and became engaged on Christmas Day 2010.

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CREDIT: REX/Shutterstock

Ray Quinn ex-wife

They got married in Barbados on 31 March 2012, also announcing that day that Emma was pregnant with their first child. Harry was born in August 2012, but the couple sadly split in February 2015.

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CREDIT: Twitter/ Ray Quinn

Ray Quinn new girlfriend

After divorcing his wife Emma Stephens, Ray found love with teacher Emily Fletcher. He started dating her in June 2016, telling Star magazine: "She's a school teacher and we made it official last June. It was fate. I believe whatever's meant for you won't pass you by. I can't stand dating apps. A text message or a picture on Tinder is absolutely pointless."

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CREDIT: Twitter/ Ray Quinn

Where is Ray Quinn now?

Ray Quinn has spent the last four years since Dancing On Ice working on the stage - appearing in Peter Pan and The Wedding Singer, and has recently been cast as Don in the Cliff Richard hit Summer Holiday. He will be returning to the ice on this year's Dancing On Ice live tour. He's pictured here with his Dancing On Ice tour colleagues, Beth Tweddle and Karen Barber.

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CREDIT: REX/Shutterstock

Ray Quinn: Dancing On Ice

Ray Quinn competed in the 2009 series of Dancing On Ice, winning the show with his skating partner Maria Filippov. The pair then competed in the All-Star series of the show in 2014, winning the crown over Beth Tweddle and Hayley Tamaddon.

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CREDIT: Twitter/ Ray Quinn

Ray Quinn Instagram

As far as we can tell, Ray Quinn does not have Instagram. There are a couple of Ray Quinn accounts, but as neither are verified, there's no way to be sure it's him. However - he is very active on Twitter, and his handle is @TheRealRayQuinn.

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CREDIT: REX/Shutterstock

Ray Quinn X Factor

Ray Quinn became a household name after reaching the final of The X Factor in 2006 at the age of just 18. He was popular for his genre of choice being swing, unlike many other young men who auditioned. He made it to the final, but lost out on the title to Leona Lewis.

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CREDIT: REX/Shutterstock

Ray Quinn net worth

Although there aren't any official documents anywhere on how much Ray Quinn is worth or has previously earned, news site Entertainment Wise reported in 2015 that Ray was worth £1.5m. Wowza!

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CREDIT: Channel 4

Ray Quinn Brookside

Ray Quinn appeared in Liverpool-based soap Brookside at the age of 12 from 2000 until its end in 2003. Among his storylines was the hard-hitting bullying plot, which saw his character Anthony Murray be the victim of abuse from his schoolmate Imelda. The storyline took an even darker turn when Anthony accidentally killed Imelda by drowning her in a pond, something that shocked British viewers.

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CREDIT: REX/Shutterstock

Ray Quinn height

Ray Quinn's height is 1.75m, or 5"7.

Dancing On Ice Live is touring the UK from March 23rd until April 15th 2018, for tickets and venues please visit: www.dancingonicetour.co.uk.

*Ray Quinn is set to appear in brand new stage musical ‘Summer Holiday’, which tours the UK from May onwards. Further information can be found at *summerholidaythemusical.co.uk.

Want more Dancing on Ice news, gossip and exclusive interviews? Then head over to our Dancing on Ice 2018 hub!

**Who are you rooting for to win Dancing On Ice 2018? Let us know over on **Facebook and Twitter.

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