With all the shanninigans last year about the comments that Jason Gardner made, this years desision to sack Nicky Slater and replace a good proportion of the Pro Skaters I wonder how much say in the production of the programme Jayne and Chris have?

If they wern't fronting the show I'm sure that it wouldn't have run as long as it has. Chris didn't use to be known for hiding his light under a bushel and he seems to have mellowed with age.
As far as the show goes it seems to be a case of "like it or lump it" and they have to go with the flow. I would like to see the old Chris back stirring things up a bit!

I suspect that they do have plenty of say in how things are run. The producers know that if Jayne & Chris leave then that is almost certainly curtains for Dancing On Ice.

I am not sure that they were ever particularly close to Nicky. And with the pros we don't really know how many decided to leave and how many were not invited back, only Matt G has made it clear that it was his choice not to return. I suspect in reality it's a bit of a mixture i.e. Some chose not to return; some jumped before they were pushed and others haven't been invited back. Of the pros we definitely know aren't back only Matt G and Fred & Mel are really a surprise IMO.