For more than half a century, Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean have dazzled audiences with their artistry, athleticism, and unmistakable chemistry on the ice. Now, as the final curtain falls on their legendary partnership, the British skating icons are set to receive one of the highest honors in the land: a damehood and knighthood in the King’s New Year Honours, according to widespread reports from outlets including Daily Mail and The Telegraph. Their story is one of enduring friendship, relentless ambition, and a shared commitment to pushing the boundaries of what figure skating could be.
The announcement, expected in the days following December 28, 2025, marks the culmination of a journey that began when Torvill, now 68, and Dean, 67, first laced up their skates together as teenagers in Nottingham. The pair had already been appointed MBEs in 1981 and OBEs in 2000, but fans and supporters have long campaigned for further recognition. A petition for their knighthood was rejected just last year, but their contributions to British sport and culture have finally earned them this prestigious upgrade.
It’s hard to overstate the impact Torvill and Dean have had on figure skating in the UK. Their unforgettable performance at the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo, set to Maurice Ravel’s Boléro, not only won them gold but also became a cultural phenomenon. As reported by BBC and Daily Mail, more than 24 million Britons tuned in to watch their flawless, four-minute-28-second routine, which earned them a record twelve perfect 6.0 scores from the judges. Even Queen Elizabeth II was among their admirers, sending a congratulatory telegram after their historic win.
“We never set out to be famous – we just set out to be the best in the world,” Dean reflected during the recent ITV documentary Torvill & Dean: The Last Dance, which aired on December 28, 2025. Jayne added, “But we had to fight like mad to get there.” Their drive for perfection, she explained, was always coupled with a desire to innovate: “We always wanted to push the boundaries of what could be achieved so obviously that was going to ruffle a few feathers.”
Their Olympic triumph was hardly the end of their story. Over the years, Torvill and Dean amassed a string of accolades, including five World Professional Championships, four European titles, and seven British Figure Skating Championships. In 1994, they returned to the Olympics to claim a bronze medal, further cementing their status as legends in the sport. According to Smooth Radio, Torvill’s career is also marked by a net worth of approximately £6.4 million, a testament to her enduring appeal and business savvy.
Yet, for all their professional success, much of the public’s fascination with Torvill and Dean has centered on their personal relationship. Despite decades of speculation, both have insisted that their bond is rooted in friendship, not romance. “When we were younger, we were sort of, for a minute [crossed a line], but it didn’t last very long,” Dean candidly shared on the High Performance podcast in 2024. Torvill echoed this sentiment, saying, “Quite often we get asked, ‘What’s the secret of your friendship, relationship?’... we never got married,” to which Dean quipped, “Don’t sleep with each other.”
Still, fans couldn’t help but wonder after the pair shared a kiss during a performance of Boléro in Sarajevo on Valentine’s Day 2024, marking 40 years since their Olympic victory. Both have acknowledged a one-time teenage kiss, but their enduring partnership has always been professional. Torvill has been married to sound engineer Phil Christensen since 1990 and is a proud mother of two adopted children, Kieran and Jessica. Dean, meanwhile, has been in a relationship with his Dancing on Ice co-star Karen Barber since 2011.
In recent years, Torvill and Dean have become household names far beyond the skating world, thanks in large part to their roles as head judges on ITV’s Dancing on Ice. Since joining the show in 2006, they’ve mentored a new generation of skaters, sharing their expertise and passion with millions of viewers. Their final appearance as judges came in the summer of 2025, coinciding with their farewell tour, Our Last Dance, which culminated in an emotional performance in their hometown of Nottingham.
Their swan song was captured in the 60-minute documentary Torvill & Dean: The Last Dance, which followed the duo as they prepared for their final performances. The program, available to stream on ITVX, offered fans a poignant look at their journey – from the highs of Olympic glory to the nerves and nostalgia of saying goodbye. As Torvill and Dean themselves described it, “The programme will be filled with poignant and joyful moments as we plan, rehearse and perform our final skating journey together. It’s fitting that this documentary will be broadcast on ITV, our TV home for the last two decades. We hope fans will enjoy this final opportunity to see us skate together.”
The documentary also highlighted the deep friendship at the heart of their partnership. “We’ll always be great friends,” Dean said, reflecting on their shared memories and the legacy they leave behind. For many viewers, the show was an emotional experience. As one fan wrote on social media, “Torvill & Dean’s last dance doc is actually making me a bit emotional – they were single-handedly responsible for making figure skating popular across the UK and I don’t think we’ll ever experience that level of publicity in this country again in all honesty.”
Of course, with such a storied career, some fans expressed disbelief that this really was the end. “How many flipping times are Torvill and Dean going to do a ‘final dance’?” joked one viewer, while another affectionately dubbed the documentary “Torvill & Dean: ANOTHER Last Dance.” But for Torvill and Dean, this time the farewell feels definitive. “We always wanted to leave the ice on a high but this is definitely it – the last dance,” Torvill declared. Dean agreed, admitting that if anyone had told him they’d still be skating after 50 years, he would have thought they were “mad.”
As the King’s New Year Honours are set to be announced, the nation prepares to recognize two of its most beloved sporting heroes. Their journey from Nottingham’s local rinks to the world’s grandest stages – and now to the halls of British honor – is a testament to talent, perseverance, and the power of partnership. The ice may finally be melting beneath their blades, but the mark left by Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean will endure for generations to come.
