Christopher Dean's rarely seen grown-up sons are his spitting image


Torvill and Dean performed for the final time on Dancing On Ice recently


split image showing Christopher Dean on Dancing On Ice and also taking a selfie with his two sons in a sports bar© Getty,X/TorvillandDean
Francesca ShillcockDigital Travel Editor
March 14, 2025
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It's been an emotional time for Christopher Dean.

The skating legend and his professional partner, Jayne Torvill, performed on live television for the last time on Sunday when the ITV skating competition, Dancing On Ice, hosted its grand finale.

The former Olympic champions took to the ice to perform their famous Bolero, the routine that granted them gold medals and international fame, and once their tour has come to an end later this year, they will both officially retire.

It's undoubtedly bittersweet for the TV judge. Although retiring means the end of an era, it also means that Christopher will be able to spend perhaps more quality time with his family.

Christopher and his partner, Karen Barber, live in a lovely home in Buckinghamshire where they likely host gatherings with Christopher's two grown-up sons, Jack, 26, and Sam, 24.

Who are Christopher Dean's sons?

Christopher shares two sons with his ex-wife, American skater Jill Trenary. The couple met in the early 1990s and tied the knot in October 1994.

Four years later, they welcomed their first-born, Jack, and two years after that, they welcomed their youngest, Sam.

The star shares two sons with his second wife, Jill Trenary

The family resided in Colorado Springs, but in 2010, it was confirmed by their representative that they had decided to separate. For the sake of their sons, they remained on good terms.

© X

Christopher's son, Jack

Christopher and Jill's eldest is Jack, who turned 26 in November 2024. 

The Dancing On Ice star tends to keep his family life away from the spotlight, so not much is known about his two boys, but the proud dad has shared the occasional photo.

Christopher posted this sweet snap in honour of Jack's birthday, which sees the father-and-son duo smiling for the camera while enjoying a night of birthday celebrations.

© Instagram

Christopher's son, Sam

Sam is Christopher and Jill's second son, who turned 24 last September. 

The skating professional posted this sweet photo of him and Sam smiling in honour of Sam's birthday.

The proud dad said in a comment that he couldn't believe how big his youngest had become.  

© X/TorvillandDean

It's clear that Christopher and his two grown-up boys have a great relationship and spend as much time together as possible. 

Here, the trio look to be enjoying a boys' night out at a sports bar.

© Instagram

This snap was taken outside the airport after the trio arrived in Salt Lake City, according to Christopher's Instagram. 

The father and sons look elated to be reunited.

This is another cute selfie of Christopher and his sons taken more recently, and the pair are dead ringers for their famous dad!

Who is Christopher Dean's current partner?

Christopher is in a long-term relationship with fellow Dancing on Ice star Karen Barber.

The pair began dating in 2011 and in the early days of their courtship, they were photographed kissing outside a restaurant.

© PA Images via Getty Images
Karen Barber and Christopher Dean

The two released a statement at the time saying: "We have been great friends for more than 30 years. 

"Following recent media speculation, we feel the necessity to confirm that this year has seen a change in our relationship, but we are taking things very slowly, as it is early days. We'd very much like to thank our dear friends, who have been so incredibly supportive to us."

Before his marriage to Jill, the mother of his two sons, Christopher was married to French-Canadian World ice dance champion Isabelle Duchesnay, whom he met while helping her and her brother with their choreography. They married in 1991 but divorced in 1993.

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