Ice teacher: Why I didn't argue with Simon Cowell

Troupe principal Nikki Lynam (32) came under fire after the semi-final performance when talent overlord Simon Cowell criticised the group for not choreographing their own performance.

The outspoken TV show judge told the young dancers: “I told you in the first audition that you should have fired your choreographers and I was right.

“It all felt a bit old-fashioned, like you didn’t have a part in the routine.”

But Nikki kept her composure and refused to bite back at the criticism aimed at her and fellow dance teacher Lisa Beebe.

“There was no way that I was going to let Rotherham down by screaming and shouting at him,” she said.

“I just don’t think Simon got us. He was never going to admit he was in the wrong, it’s all for television.”

Nikki, who insisted that she was proud of what Ice had achieved, said that making the final would have been a step too far for the group.

“The show has just been a lovely experience, really, they should be proud of themselves,” she said.

“They got so far, it would have been too much for them to do it all again for the final, it’s so tiring.

“You see it on television but it’s so much different when you’re actually there.

“They shouldn’t be disappointed because they were great. There was nothing else that they could have done.

“If they had of performed badly they would have probably been upset, but they gave everything.”

The group have developed a big local following because of the show and put on a performance at the Rotherham Rocks fashion show over the weekend. “It was like a homecoming for them to dance in Rotherham,” Nikki said.

“They have never been in so much demand and that was all down to the show.

“All we wanted to do was to make Rotherham proud, and I think we did that.”

Nikki added that watching Saturday’s final on TV was completely different to being there.

“The studio is much smaller than you think,” she said. “Sometimes you forget you’re live performing for millions of people.

“But they did get a standing ovation which was nice to see.”

Ice were under pressure to impress Simon after he criticised the group’s first audition.

Nikki said: “There’s always pressure when you’re performing for so many people. We knew that Simon wouldn’t let it go, but you have to just get on with it, and that’s what they did.

“The criticism that we did get didn’t affect us so much, but the solo acts must find it hard sometimes, it’s only natural.

“But Spelbound, the winners, deserved their victory, they were fantastic.” 

Ice have vowed to keep dancing and have decided to apply for the Sky1 dance competition, Got To Dance.