Skating legends Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean have voiced their health concerns as they prepare to bid farewell to their skating careers.
The pair, who have dazzled audiences for half a century, are now ready to retire their boots. Torvill, 67, spoke candidly about the physical impact of their demanding skating years.
In an interview with Prima magazine, the star reflected: “We’ve never really stopped skating, and if we’re in a period when we’re not training together, we both use the gym quite a lot and keep fit that way.”
She added: “If you’ve had a period of time when you’ve not skated, within 20 minutes on the ice, it’s back. It’s always there. It’s a bit like riding the bike story. But we’ve done it our whole lives and I think that’s a big asset in keeping us fit and healthy, although there are aches and pains every now and then.”
The beloved duo began their partnership in 1975, reaching the pinnacle of their career with a gold medal at the 1984 Winter Olympics held in Sarajevo. Since assuming the role of head judges on Dancing on Ice in 2018, they’ve been appraising talents such as former EastEnders actor Charlie Brooks, Olympic champion Steve Redgrave, and Springwatch’s Michaela Strachan.
Discussing life beyond the rink, Torvill shared with Prima her anticipation of new opportunities: “Retirement gives you the chance to try other things you’ve not had the chance to do. I’m not quite there yet, thinking I will have that freedom, because I know there’s a lot of work ahead,” she began.
“But it would be nice knowing in the future that I have that and maybe as the retirement gets nearer, I will have definite thoughts on what I want to do next.”
Torvill and Dean, discussed their retirement plans during an appearance on Dancing on Ice, with Dean remarking: “We’re 50 years skating together,” before announcing: “It’s our last tour, last time round, so when we’ve finished the tour our skates will be hung up.”
The renowned duo are gearing up for their final performances in Torvill and Dean: Our Last Dance, set to commence on April 12 and continue until May 11.
Dancing on Ice airs on Sundays at 6.30pm on ITV