Holly Willoughby sent social media into meltdown on Sunday evening when she appeared to say the word "f***" at co-star Stephen Mulhern.
The moment came as Willoughby and Mulhern were introducing Roxy Shahidi to the ice to perform her Beetlejuice-inspired routine.
After Willoughby joked Shahidi and her skating partner Sylvain Longchambon would be hoping to give their fellow competitors the "fright of their lives", Mulhern spotted an opportunity.
The new DOI star shouted in Willoughby's ear, causing her to jump and mutter a word that sounded an awful lot like the "f-bomb" according to viewers.
Later in the show, Willoughby ended up apologising for the moment as she told ITV viewers: "Now, a little bit earlier on, Stephen may have made me jump, and I think it may have sounded like a naughty word slipped out.
"I don’t think I did! But I’m sorry if that’s what you thought you might have heard, but I don’t think I did.
Dancing on Ice: Stephen Mulhern left Holly Willoughby flustered after making her jump
ITV
"I’ll watch it back on ITV player, because that’s where you can watch these things back. But I’m sorry!"
Mulhern saw the funny side as he replied: "I get the blame for everything at the moment, I’m new!"
The moment wasn't mentioned again in the show and hours after the latest episode ended and Hannah Spearritt was the unlucky celeb booted off, Willoughby returned to social media.
In her first Instagram post since "swearing", Willoughby shared a selfie of herself in her Dancing on Ice dress and cryptically captioned it with a black love heart emoji.
While she may have avoided directly mentioning the headline-making moment from the show, fans quickly replied with both praise and a few messages of concern.
One follower claimed: "You’re very pretty but I can tell you’re not where you want to be, I can see it in your eyes, they do not lie! I wish you all the best! Deep down you are a true person x."
A second was similarly concerned with Willoughby's latest DOI appearance: "You appeared very nervous tonight, be your usual confident self."
And a third echoed: "Holly doesn't seem comfortable with this gig at all. Almost like she has the world in her shoulders. The light has gone out of her eyes."
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Holly Willoughby swears on Dancing on Ice: ITV host returns to Instagram after on air incident
ITV/INSTAGRAM/HOLLY WILLOUGHBY
However, amid the comments on the post were several fans who threw their support behind the former This Morning host.
"I am so saddened by the nasty comments. What happened to being kind?" one person asked.
While a second hit back: "That’s sending a definite message. Strong determined and full of purpose. X."
And a third similarly praised: "Beautiful woman in and out, shine baby shinnnne." (sic)
