Dancing on Ice's Stephen Mulhern is 'pure magic' as Wicked villain
He channelled the green-skinned witch Elphaba for Movie Week.
What did you miss?
Dancing on Ice's Stephen Mulhern stole the show as Elphaba Thropp during Movie Week.
Now in its third week, the ITV competition returned to our screens on Sunday, 26 January, with the judges, hosts, celebrities and professional skaters all dressing up as cinematic delights, including Ken (from Barbie), Men in Black, Beauty and the Beast, James Bond, Deadpool, and Demi Moore's Molly Jensen (Ghost).
Going the whole hog in green body paint and black fingernails, Mulhern's Wicked Witch of the West went down a treat with viewers writing on social media site X, who seemed pleasantly surprised by the costume's quality.
What, how and why?
In the wake of Vanessa James and Dan Edgar's opening performance, judge Ashley Banjo nipped in with a quick laugh at Mulhern's expense.
"Sorry, I'm struggling with this a little bit Stephen," he smirked, as the co-host clapped back by urging him to "get on with" his comments.
Then, as Mulhern introduced Ferne McCann and Brendyn Hatfield's "weird little creatures from a weird little world", Holly Willoughby added: "AND... they still look less ridiculous than you!"
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On the show's X hashtag, here was one of the many fan reactions: "Stephen Mulhern pulling it off as Elphaba! Loving the look!"
Somebody else wrote: "I'm absolutely here for Stephen Mulhern being dressed as Elphaba."
Holly as Glinda and Stephen as Elphaba pure magic #dancingonice
— JANE 🖤 🎼 (@JANNNNEEEEEEEEE) January 26, 2025
. @StephenMulhern looks great as Elphaba 😄 #dancingonice #DOI
— Sophie (@humbug83) January 26, 2025
Stephen suits that elphaba look I'm not gonna lie#dancingonice
— Amy Joanne (@AmyJoanne__) January 26, 2025
Never thought Dancing On Ice would be where I’d see a gender-swapped Elphaba from Wicked. #DancingOnIce
— Sean The Mondasian Psychic (@WhoPotterVian) January 26, 2025
Love that Holly and Stephen are dressed as Glinda and Elphaba from Wicked, my fav musical #dancingonice
— Chloe Stothers (She/They) (@CSRizzoli23) January 26, 2025
@StephenMulhern makes a fantastic Elphaba #dancingonice
— 𝐏𝐀𝐈𝐆𝐄 𝐋𝐄𝐎𝐍𝐈 (@P_L_M97) January 26, 2025
Originating in the Wicked stage musical, which is a prequel to The Wizard of Oz, Elphaba is the close friend of fellow sorceress Glinda, yet the two eventually go their separate ways as forces for evil and good.
The movie adaptation's Elphaba actress Cynthia Erivo is up for an Oscar this year.
Who was eliminated from the competition this week?
Meanwhile, The Only Way is Essex personality McCann was sent packing by the voting public this time around, following the elimination of Chelsee Healey last week.
"So gutted, so gutted, but it is what it is," she told Mulhern and Willoughby. "We were having so much fun, I'm really sad."
Hatfield went on to share: "We've had just the best time skating together and learning and growing, and she had so much more in her."
Dancing on Ice airs Sunday on ITV1 and ITVX.