Dancing On Ice judges Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean made an announcement (Image: GETTY)
coaches Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean recently announced that they will be retiring from their most famous performances on television.
The celebrated British ice dancers have claimed 16 gold medals throughout their illustrious careers at World, European, and British Figure Skating Championships before retiring in 1998.
Although Torvill and Dean have been regular performers on Dancing On Ice since its inception in 2006, they have decided to retire from live performances after this season.
Speaking exclusively to Express.co.uk on behalf of show winner shared his sadness about the news.
James commented: “It gets to a stage in everyone’s career whether you’re a dancer, an ice skater, a runner, or a footballer – where you have to say, ‘I can’t keep doing this. My body doesn’t move how it used to.’
James Jordan won Dancing On Ice in 2019 (Image: Getty)
“As you get older, you get slower, you become less flexible, and things that once felt easy start to feel difficult. Torvill and Dean are still incredible, but there comes a point where you think, ‘If I keep going, it won’t be the same, and I don’t want people to see me like that.'”
He continued: “I watched their last performance, and I was in awe. They are absolute legends of the skating world, and they made the right decision, for them, to retire from showcasing themselves on the ice.
“Letting go is never easy when performing is all you’ve ever known. That reaction from the audience, the thrill of being in front of people – it’s a massive part of your life, and when it stops, it can feel like losing a piece of yourself.
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Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean are retiring from performing (Image: Getty)
“I respect their decision completely. I love watching them skate even now, so of course, I’m gutted, but at the same time, I admire them for knowing when the time was right.”
James also suggested Dan Edgar should have been saved from elimination.
Ahead of the Dancing On Ice final which airs tonight the former professional claimed the semi-final was “underwhelming”.
“Apart from Michaela Strachan, the entire semi-final lineup was pretty underwhelming. It wasn’t the highest standard; in fact, I’d say it was one of the weakest I’ve seen in years. And yet, the judges were still handing out 10s left and right. I don’t understand that,” he remarked.
James continued: “At the very least, they should acknowledge what they’re actually seeing. If a performance isn’t great, say so. Tell them, ‘That wasn’t the strongest semi-final, but step it up for the final and blow us away.’ Give them the eights they deserve – not inflated nines and tens.
“Dan skated to a Calum Scott song, the same one I once performed to, so I rewatched my old routine. It made me realise that, actually, I was quite good – and that wasn’t even at the semi-final stage. Dan wasn’t brilliant, but he did enough to stay in the competition.”
The 34-year-old and his professional partner Vanessa James missed out on a place in next week’s final after landing in the skate-off against Anton Ferdinand.
The Dancing On Ice final airs tonight on ITV at 6.30pm