The breathtaking moment when Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean skated to a perfect score in 1984's Sarajevo Winter Olympics has been played the world over – but what's not as well-known is whether Jayne and Chris are a real-life couple.
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Despite having a joint Instagram account and spending endless time together up close and personal at the rink, this legendary Dancing on Ice duo are not real-life partners off the ice. From the time they did actually share a kiss, to their own marriages, we reveal everything Torvill and Dean have said about their amazing relationship...
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Torvill and Dean on how they first met
Recalling their first meeting to the Radio Times, Jayne said: "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 blonde hair. That’s when I named him the Blonde Prince."
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© Photo: Getty ImagesThe pair have been skating together since the 1970s
Torvill and Dean talk on their first (and only) kiss
During the same Radio Times interview, Jayne was quizzed about the relationship rumours and she admitted: "We did actually kiss once – before we were a skating couple. 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."
Christopher spoke about this on Piers Morgan's Life Stories and it caused another media storm because he said: "We dabbled," referring to their kiss.
© Photo: Getty ImagesChristopher and Jayne are not partners in real-life
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Torvill and Dean on performing together
On ice the pair look so effortless together – and so in love (hence the rumours). However, speaking to the Radio Times, Christopher admitted that it wasn't always as comfortable skating with Jayne: "We were very shy with each other.
"Janet Sawbridge, our coach, made us get into a hold. We were standing nose to nose, hip to hip, and there was nowhere to look except at each other. It felt awkward – for a minute. From then on, both of us wanted to make a go of it."
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© Photo: RexThey are both judges on the hit show Dancing on Ice
Torvill and Dean on love and friendship
Jayne married Phil Christensen in 1990, while Christopher has been married twice before and is now in a long-term relationship with Karen Barber (who has also starred as a judge on Dancing on Ice).
In an interview with Northern Life magazine, Christopher said: " We’re really close and the best of friends, we’ve grown up together" and in the Radio Times piece he added: "There is still a romance, though…I love Jayne. But in a passionate friend way."
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