From partnership-ending rifts to engagements, this series of Dancing on Ice has certainly kept viewers on their toes – and that's not even including the dramatic twists and turns on the rink! But legendary skating champions Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean, the show's head judges, don't think that there's anything wrong with that. The duo spoke to press ahead of Sunday's final, which will see Paralympic sprinter Libby Clegg, actor Joe Swash, and dancer Perri Kiely compete to be crowned this year's winner.
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In an interview with The Sun, the Olympians defended the fact that the show has a reputation for splitting up existing relationships and sparking new ones – which has come to be known as the Dancing on Ice 'curse'. Christopher said: “Romance on ice happens because you get into this bubble and it’s very close, tactile and, more than anything, there is trust that has to go into the celebrity-pro partnerships. On Dancing on Ice we’ve had a lot of partnerships that have come together and people that have stayed together — and a lot of babies — on both the production and cast side.” Jayne chimed in: “It’s a good thing so it’s not a curse on the Dancing on Ice side.”
© Photo: ITVBrianne and Kevin got engaged this year after meeting on Dancing on Ice
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One of this year's competitors, Maura Higgins, has just split up with her boyfriend, Curtis Pritchard, while ex-footballer Kevin Kilbane and his partner on and off the ice, Brianne Delcourt, got engaged last month. Brianne previously met and dated Coronation Street actor Danny Young, 33, who she also met through Dancing on Ice. Other couples who've got together as a result of the show include former England goalkeeper David Seaman and skater Frankie Poultney, who tied the knot in 2015.
READ: Who is Libby Clegg's fiancé? Everything you need to know about Dan Powell
Coronation Street actress Samia Ghadie married and had a baby with her professional partner, Sylvain Longchambon, although he was in a relationship with his 2012 skating partner, Hollyoaks star Jennifer Metcalfe, when they met. Jayne and Chris, meanwhile, have kept their long partnership professional and platonic – for the most part. In 2013 Chris admitted on an episode of Piers Morgan’s chat show Life Stories that they once shared a teenage kiss. Maybe there's something in the ice!
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