Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean broke their silence as they retired from ice skating on Wednesday morning.
Jayne, 66, and Christopher, 65, skated to victory at the Winter Olympics in Sarajevo on Valentine's Day 1984, winning the gold medal and scoring the highest score ever for an individual performance.
The British figure skating duo will undertake one final UK tour next year, which will be their swansong and celebrate 50 years since their figure skating partnership was formed in 1975 – before they officially hang up their skates.
On Good Morning Britain on Wednesday, presenters Ed Balls and Charlotte Hawkins spoke to the pair in their first interview since announcing their resignations.
Live from Sarajevo, where the pair skated to Olympic gold, the legendary duo joined GMB, where it all began, to talk about their final farewell tour.
Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean broke their silence about their retirement from ice skating on Wednesday morning (seen at the press conference in Sarajevo to announce their retirement).
Jayne, 66, and Christopher, 65, skated to victory at the Winter Olympics in Sarajevo on Valentine's Day 1984, winning the gold medal and scoring the highest score ever for an individual performance
As to why the duo felt now was the right time, Chris said: “Gosh, 40 years ago is a long time.” In fact, next year, in 2025, we've been skating together for 50 years, and we found , that was a really nice round number to say: “We had a wonderful time, but it's time to step back a little and hang up the skates.” .
“No more tours except the last tour we want to do next year.”
Jayne added: “We believe it will be the last tour but it will be a celebration of everything we have been through since 1984, winning the Olympics which opened the door to many other things in the future .”
Back in Sarajevo, Chris said: “It’s fantastic to be here in Sarajevo, where it all began for us.”
He continued: “It's actually quite emotional and nostalgic at the same time.” We walked back to Zetra Stadium where we were actually performing and stopped at the spot where we knelt down to start the Bolero routine, and when I got back there I kind of had a tingling sensation in the back of my neck.
Asked if they knew what a big moment it was 40 years ago, Jayne said: “No, I don't think we could have ever imagined it.” In the run-up to the Olympics we were just focused and in the right mood.
“We didn't even think about what happened after that moment.” We were just so ready to perform and hoped everything went well. We were just so relieved when we got to the end and that we couldn't have done better because we had worked so hard to get to that moment. '
Making the announcement on Tuesday, Chris said that the two had agreed that it was the “right time” to stop skating as they were “no longer spring chicks” and wanted to walk away as long as they were “to a certain extent “are still capable of it.”
On Good Morning Britain on Wednesday, presenters Ed Balls and Charlotte Hawkins spoke to the pair in their first interview since announcing their resignations
Live from Sarajevo, where the pair skated to Olympic gold, the legendary duo joined GMB, where it all began, to talk about their final farewell tour
The British figure skating duo will undertake one final UK tour next year, which will be their swansong and celebrate 50 years since their figure skating partnership was formed in 1975 – before they officially hang up their skates
Jayne wore a smart blue suit for the press conference as they visited Bosnia and Herzegovina to celebrate the 40th anniversary of winning gold medals at the 1984 Winter Olympics
The pair became international stars after scoring 12 perfect 6s while skating to Maurice Ravel's Boléro at the Zetra Olympic Hall in Sarajevo, drawing a standing ovation.
It was watched on television by 24 million people in the UK and a month later they scored even better at the World Cup.
Their farewell tour, Torvill and Dean: Our Last Dance, runs from April 12 to May 11, 2025, with dates in London, Belfast, Newcastle and Glasgow.
“I think at some point you know,” Chris said.
“We're not spring chickens anymore, but we're still able to make it to a certain extent, so we feel good about it, but that's what's going to happen.”
“So I think this is the right time for us to do that and skate and do some of the old routines, be very nostalgic, but then do some new fun, happy (dances) with friends of ours .” the ice skating world and Dancing On Ice.'
He said they view the tour as a “celebration” but expects they will become emotional about their final skate as it approaches.
“I think we will also be proud of what we have done and have been able to do over the years, bringing competitions and competitions and then entertainment to the television screen,” he said.
“I think we will reflect and look at it not sadly, but joyfully.”
After their competitive careers ended, Torvill and Dean began coaching and choreographing and toured regularly before becoming the faces of ITV reality show Dancing on Ice in 2006.
The show went on hiatus in 2014 and when it was revived in 2018, they returned as head judges. This Sunday's episode will air a special reminder of her gold medal-winning performance in 1984.
“That was really a starting point for us to move on to other things,” they said of their beloved 1984 routine.
As to why the duo felt now was the right time, Chris said: “Gosh, 40 years ago is a long time. In fact, next year in 2025 we'll have been running together for 50 years!”
After their competitive careers ended, they began coaching and choreographing and toured regularly before becoming the faces of ITV reality show Dancing on Ice in 2006 (pictured).
The pair are pictured together during their competitive careers at the 1994 British Championships
“Touring the world, skating in front of hundreds of thousands of people and then starting Dancing On Ice because I won the Olympics.”
On his last recent tour, Chris said on GMB: “The tour will be a celebration and nostalgic at the same time.” You'll see some old numbers we've done in the past and who knows, maybe there'll be a Bolero in there too.
“But we want to take our friends we’ve met over the years out on the ice to celebrate this final tour.”
“We have been together for 50 years and would like to thank everyone. If you want to come, come.”