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Jayne Torvill reveals secret behind her decades-long friendship with skating partner Christopher Dean after pair took to the ice together for final time

BBG News

Jayne Torvill has unveiled the key to her longstanding bond with ice skating companion, Christopher Dean, over the years.

The pair who performed as a team on “Dancing on Ice” earned a significant spot in the annals of British sports by claiming the gold medal during the 1984 Winter Games, gliding gracefully to Ravel’s Bolero at the Zetra Olympic Hall in Sarajevo.

However, on Saturday, Jayne (age 67) and Chris (age 66) retired from skating permanently following their final rendition of Bolero.

Jayne and Phil Christiansen have been married since 1990, while Christopher started his current relationship with Karen Barber, his Dancing on Ice partner, in 2011. Notably, both of them were previously married, but they have maintained a strong bond throughout the years.

Now, it’s been disclosed that Jayne’s friendship with someone else has endured for half a century, as neither of them chose to marry and instead maintained a close bond in a non-romantic manner.

During an interview on BBC Breakfast on Wednesday, Jayne stated that when she was asked if they realized their partnership was unique after their initial dance together, she replied, “For both of us, it was all quite fresh and unfamiliar.

Over time as we glided side by side on the ice, it seemed like we both grasped our shared ardor for skating, desiring to improve our skills. Continuing this pursuit, honing our abilities, and striving for progress – these factors appear to be what fueled us throughout the years.

‘I often point out that we’ve never been legally married, which is the reason behind our enduring friendship and continued professional compatibility.’

Chris continued by advising: “Always settle disagreements before parting ways with ice, whether we’re teenagers, young adults, adults, married, parents, or retired.

‘We’ve done so much over the 50 years and seen so much together over the 50 years.’

Now that their skating journey has concluded, they hinted at continuing their collaboration – and maintaining friendship.

Chris proposed: “Let’s plan to get together in London every month, perhaps to catch a performance or two. We have an affinity for mentorship. We look forward to collaborating with others.

I continue to find great joy in creating dance routines, and I’m eager to collaborate with other skaters, as well as participate in various skating performances.

Jayne playfully hinted that we have other professional obligations, excluding skating together on the ice.

‘And normally we wouldn’t have had time for that, but we’ll have more time to do stuff like that.’

In April, they began their farewell tour’s UK segment, titled Torvill and Dean: Our Last Dance. This tour ended with them performing four times in their hometown, Nottingham.

After our last joint performance, Dean remarked: ‘Our show went smoothly, the crowd was fantastic, and it was truly delightful for us to depart with such a triumphant finale.’

He indicated that the previous four shows in Nottingham had an emotional impact on him. Initially, those performances stirred some strong emotions within him, which he felt he had released. Tonight, however, it was more about reaching a peak.

We had an incredible time! Not only did we appreciate the quality of the skating, but the audience truly exceeded expectations. Without a doubt, they were one of the finest audiences we’ve ever encountered.

Jayne expressed: “I believe we’ll feel its absence. After performing in numerous shows such as this, when you find yourself back home with nothing to do, you start to yearn for that thrilling adrenaline rush and the exhilaration of being on the ice, whether it’s a practice or a performance.

I affirmed that we’ll collaborate on upcoming ventures, yet made it clear that we won’t be performing our synchronized moves on the ice again.

Sharing their final dance on video, they mentioned that the memory of it will always stay with us deeply.

They gained widespread recognition as common household figures following their triumphant win of a gold medal at the 1984 Winter Olympics held in Sarajevo.

They became the highest-scoring figure skaters of all time for a single programme.

Apart from their victories at the World, European, and British titles, they revisited the Winter Games held in Lillehammer, Norway, in 1994, earning a bronze medal there as well.

Following their retirement from competitive skating, they expanded their horizons into touring, instructing, and creating routines. Eventually, they gained prominence as hosts of the reality show Dancing on Ice, which aired from 2006 to 2014.

In 2018, the series was brought back, and since then, they held the position of primary judges. However, more recently, ITV declared that the show will take a break.

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2025-07-17 11:18

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