He's looked up, he's seen the ice rink and he's given it a bloody good go - Kevin Kilbane made his Dancing on Ice debut tonight.

In his first run-out after a long time on the sidelines this evening, Kilbane went with a football-themed dance alongside his partner Brianne Delcourt - and gave a solid performance to build on for next week.

This was the most nerve-wracking debut of his career, as he stepped out on the ice in front of millions - with a few Mayo flags dotted around the audience as the island of Ireland wished him well.

There was a lot of speculation about the team's chemistry, but Brianne confirmed "I'm the boss on the ice, Kevin is the boss at home!"

Come on, you blues! @kdkilbane77 & @Brianne_TV brought fancy footwork (and a glittery football!) to the rink. ⚽ #DancingOnIce pic.twitter.com/cjXlBcY2Rq

— Dancing on Ice (@dancingonice) January 12, 2020

Kev was brought out on the shoulders of several (presumably Mayo) fans, performing a flick and trick before he was led around the ice by Brianne as he felt his way into the contest.

A trademark Kilbane hip-swivel brought back memories of defenders with twisted blood, but it was an absolute turning point after a difficult first-half.

So to the judges - Ashley Banjo, John Barrowman and Torvill and Dean - who gave them a total of 18.5/40, not bad for the first go and definitely not out of the range of the couples in and around him.

There'll be a couple of six-pointers in the next few weeks, and the pair will have to dig deep and go back to basics.

Dancing on Ice: Judgement Day

As for the remarks* from the judges:

"Has he done enough to stay in the competition? Absolutely, for me, Clive," Banjo remarked.

"He's looked up, he's seen Brianne, and he's pulled out a blinder of a performance in very icy conditions," said Barrowman.

"If anything, he's danced too well there," said Jayne Torvill, before saying that full credit deserved to go to the lads.

"It was a no-nonsense performance from the lad, and they'd be forgiven for having some tired legs out there with it being so early in the season,"

Kevin Kilbane joins Dave Seaman, Lee Sharpe and Graeme Le Saux in a rather niche Venn diagram intersection for "On CM9798" and "been on Dancing on Ice." pic.twitter.com/OslGppdvIc

— Dave Black (@cm9798) January 12, 2020

*The remarks MAY be fabricated.

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