Christopher Dean and Jayne Torvill are known for their incredible skating career, and of course their starring roles on Dancing on Ice which returns for a brand new series this weekend.
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But how exactly did the gold medallists meet? Have they remained close over the years? And most important, were they ever romantically involved? We investigated…
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How did Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean meet?
Christopher Dean grew up in Calverton, a small mining town outside of Nottingham, while Jayne Torvill grew up in the city centre. Both were from working-class families, and used to skate at the same ice rink in Nottingham.
The pair didn't actually meet for a few years, and Jayne recalls first noticing Christopher on a Saturday afternoon in 1971, telling Radio Times: "My first memory of Chris is seeing him at the ice rink one Saturday afternoon in 1971. He stood out because he was whizzing around so fast and had blond hair. That’s when I named him the Blond Prince."
Neither youngsters were getting on with their current skating partners at the time, and in 1975 coach Janet Sawbridge noticed their potential as a pair, and matched them up.
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© Photo: Getty ImagesJayne Torvill and Christopher Dean enjoyed huge sucess in their career
Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean's instant success
It wasn't long before the pair started placing highly in national and international competitions, and in 1977 – just two years after starting to skate together – the pair came third in the British Championships.
Were Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean ever romantically involved?
Both Jayne and Christopher have always been adamant that they were never in a romantic relationship, however have admitted that they shared a single kiss as teenagers, before they were ever skating partners.
© Photo: Getty ImagesThe pair won many competitions and medals
How well did Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean get along?
A 1994 documentary about the skaters caused a stir after Christopher was seen reducing Jayne to tears with his harsh words. However, despite his sometimes critical nature, the pair have always remained close and are said to talk every day, even when they aren't scheduled to skate or film.
Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean's journey to the Olympics
Betty Callaway famously became the pair's coach in 1979, and shortly after in 1980 Christopher and Jayne quit their full-time jobs as a policeman and insurance clerk to dedicate all their time to ice skating, in the hopes of winning gold in the 1984 Olympics, which they famously did.
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