Bunton: 'I'll tell off Jason Gardiner'

Rex Features

Emma Bunton has vowed to stand up to Jason Gardiner when she starts work as a Dancing On Ice judge in the New Year.

The former Spice Girl told This Morning that she will step in if acid-tongued panellist Gardiner treats the celebrities too harshly on the new series.

Bunton promised: "I've known Jason for a while and I tell you what, I'm going to be telling him off. Sometimes he needs to be constructive!"

Discussing her role on the panel, she continued: "I'm there for the performance, the connection with the audience, the choreography. I've been performing a long time now and I know what I want to see in the performance - and that's going to be a big part of it for me."

The star also claimed that viewers can expect "the best lineup" of contestants when the ITV1 show kicks off again in January.

Bunton was confirmed as the new Dancing On Ice judge yesterday.