The Dancing On Ice launch got off to a walloping start when boxer and contestant Ricky Hatton 'punched' host Stephen Mulhern.
After voting had closed, Hatton, 4 was asked to hold a microphone, but found himself made the butt of the joke as Mulhern pulled faces for the camera.
Co-host Willoughby eventually jokingly asked Hatton to "Please just hit him," which he happily obliged, sending the shocked star to the ground and Willoughby open-mouthed.
She soon composed herself as Hatton checked on Mulhern, who was laying on the floor off camera.
Viewers found the moment hilarious, taking to social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, to voice their approval.
"Hahahaha I have to say well done Ricky Hatton. Laughing so hard over that punch," wrote one person.
"Mulhern defo needed that punch by Hatton," joked another.
While a third declared the skit as "class".
Sunday marked Mulhern's first time hosting the ITV show after replacing previous host Phillip Schofield and it was certainly a memorable one.
It also saw Willoughby return to screens for the first time in three months after quitting daytime show This Morning after 14 years having discovered she was at the centre of a kidnap and murder plot.
Hatton now faces another fight after he and his professional partner Robin Johnstone were announced as the first couple facing the dreaded skate off, which will take place next week.
He received just 12.5 points from judges Jayne Torvill, Christopher Dean, Ashley Banjo and Oti Mabuse, leaving them placed at bottom of the leaderboard.
