Torvill and Dean’s reunion
THE GOLDEN COUPLE GET THEIR SKATES ON FOR A SPECIAL TOUR
It’s been almost 45 years since ice dancers Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean first paired up as teenagers to skate together, and more than 30 since they captured hearts around the world with their gold medal-winning performance at the 1984 Winter Olympics.
But the duo are still as mesmerising as ever on the ice, even though their knees are getting creaky and their backs don’t quite bend as much.
Jayne (60) and Chris (59) have reunited to skate again on a tour promoting the UK TV show Dancing on Ice, on which they are judges. It’s been four years since they’ve glided across a rink together and they’re noticing they can’t do some of the moves that propelled them to stardom back in the ’80s.
“The knees don’t bend quite as deeply as they used to,” says Chris, who was a policeman before becoming a professional skater. “I think I have arthritis in my knees. I can still skate – paracetamol helps. I’m pretty reckless. I’ll deal with it later!”
Former insurance clerk Jayne adds, “My back does not arch as much – that’s the place that starts to hurt first with me. I don’t think I have arthritis yet but we have skated well into our fifties, which is unusual for any athlete.”
The pair are still extremely close, although Chris lives in Colorado to be close to sons Jack (19) and Sam (17) from his marriage to US figure skater
Jill Trenary.
Also previously wed to French skater Isabelle Duchesnay, he is now in a relationship with Karen Barber, a former head judge on Dancing on Ice, who he has known since he was a teenager. He returns to the UK to film the show, which returned this year after a four-year hiatus.
Jayne, meanwhile, has been married to husband Phil Christensen for 27 years and they have two adopted children, Kieran (15) and Jessica (11).
The pair have always skated so beautifully together that people have found it hard to believe they’re not a couple. Chris and Jayne say they have never been romantically involved – apart from a fleeting kiss as teenagers – but they are very much a part of each other’s lives.
“Almost every day or every other day, we speak on the phone,” says Chris. “It might be about the kids or what are you buying me for Christmas.”
Jayne adds, “We still have a great spark and chemistry, and we enjoy each other’s company, but we have other partners as well.”