Nottingham's Jayne Torvill is expected to return as a judge on Dancing on Ice when the new series starts in January 2023. Fans of the show are already getting excited with the full celebrity line-up now announced - but who is the East Midlands ice skating star who'll be judging their moves?
Jayne Torvill was born in Clifton, Nottingham, in 1957. She fell in love with ice skating as a child before meeting her long time dance partner, Christopher Dean, also from Nottinghamshire, in 1975.
The pair went on to break the Russian dominance of ice dancing, taking the gold medal at the 1984 Sarajevo Winter Olympics - the first time the event had been won by a non-Russian couple. They returned to the Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway, in 1994, this time taking bronze, making Jayne one of the oldest figure skating Olympic medallists.
READ MORE: Dancing on Ice star Jayne Torvill shares rare picture of husband and children
Twelve years later, in 2006, Jayne and Christopher returned to ice skating as they became judges on ITV's Dancing on Ice. The show has made Jayne well-known among a younger generation, who may not remember her Olympic triumphs.
There has been much speculation as to whether the dancing couple have ever struck up a romance, but they have denied anything more than a brief "dabble" when they were teenagers. Jayne told Radio Times: "We were in the back of the bus going to a league match, and it just happened. It was a one-off. We never talked about it afterwards. We laugh about it now."
Jayne recently got fans excited by sharing a rare photo of her family on a day out in London on Instagram. In the selfie taken on Oxford Street, the skater, 65, can be seen with her husband Phil Christensen, sin Kieran, 20, and daughter Jessica, 16.
She captioned the post: "Fun time in London this weekend. #family #shopping #fun." Friends and fans commented their affection for the family, with former Dancing on Ice pro Brianne Decourt saying: "What a good looking family. Miss you all."
One fan commented: "It's nice to see your family after all these years. Enjoy." And another added: "Beautiful hope you had a great time."
According to reports, Jayne and her family now live in Heathfield, East Sussex. She often shares pictures of the family's adoreable dogs and recently posted a picture of her daughter Jessica to celebrate her first day of sixth form.
Dancing on Ice will return for its 15th series in January 2023. Jayne and Christopher will judge alongside Strictly star Oti Mabuse and and Ashley Banjo, a Britain's Got Talent winner with dance group Diversity.
Celebrity contestants will include Love Island winner Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu, RuPaul's Drag Race UK winner The Vivienne, and The Only Way is Essex star Joey Essex. The show will be presented by This Morning hosts Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield.
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