Bunton joins ice show panel

Emma Bunton is to spice up 'Dancing on Ice', it has been announced.

The former Spice Girl, 33, will join the judging panel on the ITV1 celebrity ice-skating show in the New Year.

She replaces Ruthie Henshall, who was criticised for making lacklustre comments and left last summer.

The singer and mother-of-one is the only judge on the panel who has no ice-skating experience.

But she said: “I’m there for the performance, the connection with the audience, the choreography.

“I have been performing for a long time now. I just know what I want to see in a performance. That’s going to be a big part of it for me. I can skate a little”, she told 'This Morning'.

Bunton will join fellow judges Robin Cousins, Jason Gardiner, Karen Barber and Nicky Slater on the programme, which features Torvill and Dean.

She appeared on the 'X Factor' last year to assist Dannii Minogue whittle down the over-25s and came third in 'Strictly Come Dancing' in 2006.