Nicky Slater unrepentant over Suzanne row

Nicky Slater has refused to apologise for giving a low score to Dancing on Ice star Suzanne Shaw in last week's episode.

The show's judge gave Shaw and her partner Matt Evers four out of six for their routine, which resulted in a furious response from his fellow panel member Karen Barber.

Though Nicky has admitted that he could be sacked due to the controversy, he has now accused Karen of being overly sensitive because she spends so much time with the contestants.

"I stick by my decision to mark Suzanne Shaw lower than she did last week," Nicky told The Mirror. "Karen coaches the celebrities and spends a lot of time with them, so I think she gets too emotionally involved, whereas I find it easier to stay subjective."

Karen insisted: "I stand by what I said last week, Nicky gave Suzanne Shaw the wrong mark. I have every confidence in my ability as a judge. Let's see what he comes up with this week."