Rebekah Vardy gets stuck into Dancing On Ice rehearsals ahead of the first show 

It was revealed earlier this week that the hit ITV skating show will be returning to TV screens on January 17 amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

And Rebekah Vardy was spotted getting stuck into Dancing On Ice rehearsals on Thursday ahead of the new series.

The wife of footballer Jamie Vardy, 38, showcased her toned figure in a pair of blue camouflage leggings.

Rebekah teamed the item of activewear with navy zip-up top with a cheery rainbow pattern on it.

The mother-of-five finished her rehearsal look with a pair of white trainers and was also seen wearing a blue, red and white padded jacket.

Rebekah, who is currently embroiled in a WAG war with Coleen Rooney, styled her brunette locks into a ponytail and appeared to go makeup-free.

Later in the day, the WAG was seen getting into her lavish blue Range Rover as she headed home after another day on the ice.

The new series of Dancing On Ice will see the judges protected by perspex screens and no studio audience amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. 

Newly released images of the ITV show’s studios sees large screens placed in front of the judges chairs to shield Ashley Banjo, John Barrowman, Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean.

The judging panel will also be sat far apart, keeping in line with social distancing measures.

For the first time in its history the studio at Bovingdon Airfield in Hertfordshire will have no audience, a move mirroring that of Strictly Come Dancing.

The skating celebrities will also watch each other perform from socially-distanced tables to keep everyone safe from COVID-19.   

A source told The Sun: ‘Everyone needs a bit of glitz and glamour in their lives right now and TV shows are doing their best to stay on air and be safe.  

‘ITV showed they could do it with I’m A Celebrity and now they’re doing it again with Dancing On Ice.

‘They’ve made big changes to the studio, including the judging panel and audience, and hope this, as well as their daily vigilance, will be enough to keep it on air.’

Dancing On Ice recently confirmed that it will be returning to screens on January 17.

ITV reassured fans on Wednesday that the show will be back as planned to provide some entertainment during the latest lockdown, however a few new precautions will be in place including perspex dividers between the judges and no audience.

The news comes amid claims the celebs and their professional skating partners were concerned about coronavirus hitting the show and it being cancelled

Confirming the return of the hit series, ITV tweeted: ‘Confirmed: Dancing on Ice returns Sunday 17 January at 6pm on ITV. 

‘Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby once again return to present the show and the expert Ice Panel of Torvill and Dean, John Barrowman and Ashley Banjo.’

The show’s airing date of January 17 had previously been revealed just before Christmas and ahead of the latest lot of restrictions for the pandemic. 

Stars attempting to impress with their new-found skating abilities include Myleene Klass, Billie Faiers, Denise Van Outen, Sonny Jay and Jason Donovan. 

In an attempt to keep things as safe as possible, ITV confirmed to MailOnline that they will place perplex dividers between the judges and also go without an audience at Bovingdon Airfield in Hertfordshire.

Although not having members of the public to cheer them on, the star’s fellow contestants will sit spaced out in the audience to watch the show. 

While a source told The Sun: ‘ITV showed they could do it with I’m A Celebrity and now they’re doing it again with Dancing On Ice.

‘They’ve made big changes to the studio, including the judging panel and audience, and hope this, as well as their daily vigilance, will be enough to keep it on air.’ 

Confirmation of the show’s return also comes after a source claimed that although the series will be returning, things might not be as smooth as usual in the buildup.

The celebrity cast and professional skaters are also reportedly concerned that COVID-19 could interfere with filming and cause the show to be cancelled.

A source had told The Sun: ‘Everyone is worried to be honest. They can’t practise and the celebs are nowhere near the standard they usually are.

‘There’s people scrambling around backstage with no real idea how it’s going to come together. It’s a bit of a mess!’

Despite the concern, the source said the cast and crew were very pleased with all the rules brought in to try and avoid coronavirus hitting filming. 

An ITV spokesperson told MailOnline: ‘We have stringent protocols in place to ensure the health and safety of all our contributors and staff which are routinely monitored and updated to reflect the current guidelines.

‘We’re in constant contact with our entire cast in training and there have been no concerns raised.

‘ITV takes the safety and welfare of everyone involved with its programmes extremely seriously and follows all government guidelines regarding Covid-19.

‘The government has confirmed TV production can carry on throughout lockdown.’  

In addition, the Dancing On Ice cast have had regular coronavirus tests throughout their time training in preparation for the competition.  

Elsewhere, just last month, Rebekah hinted that she and Coleen Rooney could finally end their WAG war soon in a candid interview. 

It’s now more than a year since Coleen accused Rebekah of leaking false stories about her personal life to the media last year, something the latter vehemently denies. 

Coleen had help from ‘third parties’ to draft her ‘Wagatha Christie’ statement accusing Rebekah of leaking her private information to the press, court papers claim.

Rebekah’s lawyers allege that a team of people – including solicitors – read over Mrs Rooney’s statement before it was published on her social media accounts.

Should accusations that it was ‘prepared in advance’ with help from others be proved true, questions will be asked about whether Coleen’s five-month investigation into the leaks was thorough enough.

Lawyers claim Coleen didn’t properly look into whether the leaked information could have come from her or her husband’s team of staff – and not Rebekah.

In the statement on October 9, 2019, the wife of former England star Wayne Rooney claimed fellow footballer’s wife Rebekah shared fake stories she had posted on her personal Instagram account with The Sun newspaper.

Coleen famously wrote: ‘I have saved and screenshotted all the original stories which clearly show just one person has viewed them. It’s ……………. Rebekah Vardy’s account.’

Mrs Vardy – who is married to Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy – denies the accusations and is suing Mrs Rooney for damages for libel at the High Court in London.

Rebekah’s lawyers say the simultaneously-timed posts – on Mrs Rooney’s Instagram, Facebook and Twitter accounts – sought ‘maximum publicity for the defendant’s message’. 

The documents, seen by The Sun, read: ‘The post… appears to have been prepared in advance.

‘It is inferred that the defendant had already reached a (false) conclusion to responsibility on a flawed “investigation” and rushed to publication without properly considering the evidence or making any further inquiry. 

Rebekah’s legal team have now requested to know when the post was written and who knew what information at what stage.

A spokesperson for Coleen thinks the libel case will be defended successfully.