Latest news with #JayneTorvill
BBC News
20-05-2025
- BBC News
Little ships gather in Ramsgate ahead of Dunkirk commemoration
Dozens of little ships have gathered in a Kent harbour for an event marking the 85th anniversary of one of the most important episodes of World War Two.A total of 66 boats from across Europe will set off from Ramsgate on Wednesday morning for Dunkirk as part of the commemorations of Operation than 338,000 soldiers were rescued from the French coast between 26 May and 4 June 1940 with almost 100,000 troops picked up off from the beaches by the little ships and ferried to larger vessels.A spokesperson for the organiser, The Association of Dunkirk Little Ships, (ADLS), said the Ramsgate gathering was "a chance for the public to view the fleet, speak to the owners and learn about their vessels". In May 1940 the call went out for the owners of pleasure craft to join the effort led by the Royal Navy to help bring soldiers back to Kent by donating their allied forces had been driven into a small pocket around Dunkirk by the advancing German army. Without a swift evacuation they faced capture or Cain now owns Lady of Mann, one of the little ships that was part of the operation that rescued his grandfather, George. He said: "My grandfather used to talk to me about Dunkirk a lot. "It was always a huge ambition to be able to do this." The journey to Dunkirk is expected to take around 10 hours. Bryan Cox will be sailing in Bou Saada, which is now owned by the ice skater Jayne Torvill. He said: "For me it's about the sacrifice which a lot of people made. "Even with the little ships, 200 of the 800 that went across didn't survive."It's like a pilgrimage, really."Ramsgate Lifeboat will also be part of Wednesday's Cannon, its coxswain, has family links to the events of 1940."My great, great, great uncle Alf was second coxon when the call came in for Dunkirk," he said."My father, brother, myself and now my children have all been involved with the Ramsgate crew."
Wales Online
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
Christopher Dean speaks to concerned crowd as Jayne Torvill falls during live show
Christopher Dean speaks to concerned crowd as Jayne Torvill falls during live show Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean have been wowing crowds across the UK on their farewell tour - but the pair were left red faced after Jayne suffered a fall on the ice The moment Jayne Torvill fell during the live show (Image: SWNS ) Christopher Dean reassured the audience after Jayne Torvill took a tumble on the ice during a recent live performance. The legendary British ice-dancing duo from Nottingham have amassed an impressive 16 gold medals across World, European, and British Figure Skating Championships. Their most iconic moment came at the 1984 Winter Olympics, where they achieved the elusive 'perfect' score - a feat that remains unmatched. This remarkable achievement, witnessed by over 24 million viewers on UK television, is one of the most celebrated moments in British sporting history. Although Jayne and Christopher retired from competitive skating in 1998, they have continued to be a presence in the public eye, serving as expert judges on ITV's Dancing on Ice. In a joint statement released last February, Jayne and Chris announced their farewell tour, Torvill and Dean: Our Last Dance, which commenced at London's OVO Arena in Wembley on April 12. The skating icons stated: "Whilst we will continue to work together off the ice, this will be the final time we will skate together following our 50-year partnership. But not without celebrating one final time with all of our incredible fans across the UK, who have supported us constantly over many years.", reports the Liverpool Echo. Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean have been expert judges on Dancing on Ice (Image: ITV ) Article continues below Having already performed in London, Belfast, Sheffield, and Nottingham, their latest show in Birmingham took an unexpected turn when Jayne slipped and fell during their iconic Olympic-winning Bolero routine. The incident took place during their performance at the BP Pulse Live Arena in Birmingham on Sunday, April 27. Jayne Torvill, 67, suddenly fell to the floor, prompting an audible gasp from the audience. But despite the mishap, Jayne showcased her composure and professionalism by quickly getting up and continuing the performance. Following the accident, Christopher Dean addressed the crowd, offering reassurance. "Thank you so much. As you can see, sometimes it gets scary out here. Scary, scary - for Jayne anyway." Christopher, who's been in a long-term relationship with fellow ice skater Karen Barber since 2011, then thanked the audience for their attendance at the event. "It has been a terrific show and thank you to my wonderful skaters here and to Jayne. We are really honoured that you spend your time to come out and see us on a Sunday afternoon and share some of our 50-year career highlights. It's been so memorable and we will always remember today. Thank you for your memories everyone." The reason behind Jayne's fall was attributed to a hole in the ice, as per a spokesperson for Torvill and Dean. The pair expressed hope that the incident would be the last throughout the tour. The 44 year old has been at the helm of the ITV competition from its initial run from 2006 to 2012 and returned for its revival in 2018. She posted a picture from the 2025 finale, which saw Coronation Street actor Sam Aston emerge victorious, with the caption: "A huge thank you to @itv, The brilliant team, Crew, Celebrities and Everyone who has been part of our Dancing on Ice family over the last 19 years. "Every year, just when January felt at its greyest, Dancing on Ice arrived like a burst of glittering, dazzling light, warm, joyful, and full of heart... It has been an absolute privilege to work alongside true national treasures Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean, and to have a front-row seat to their breathtaking skating. "Watching them glide across the ice was nothing short of pure magic... A special thanks must also go to Arnica, Deep Heat, shapewear and fake tan, unsung heroes of the rink! .. "I will miss it hugely, but I count myself so lucky to have had it for as long as we did. Finally and most importantly, thank you to you for watching, you're the BEST!". Article continues below
BBC News
28-04-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Torvill and Dean to be played by Lancashire teenagers on tour
Two ice skaters from Blackpool and St Annes have said they are "beyond excited" to be portraying a young Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean on Brooks, 13, and Darcy Walshaw, 12, have been skating together since they were introduced by coach Katie Stainsby at Blackpool Pleasure Beach's ice arena four years pair will be performing in arenas across the country as part of Torvill and Dean's farewell tour, celebrating 50 years since they formed their skating partnership."They've given us so much advice and tips," Darcy said. Darcy, who has been skating for six years, told BBC Radio Lancashire: "I watched a family friend in a show and I thought, 'I want to do that'."She said when she met Hugo "we hit it off straight away, instantly becoming friends both on and off the ice, and we've been skating together ever since".Darcy, who has also attended ice-skating camps, including Disney on Ice and the International School of Skating, she said playing Jayne Torvill is "a massive experience"."I have such a good time, I'm beyond excited to play the part of young Jayne Torvill," she she is not skating she said she enjoys "spending time with my family, my dog and guinea pig and double maths" at her school, which she said has been "very supportive" of her ice skating. Hugo, who has been skating for five years, said he was inspired to have a go after watching pantomimes on said he was "super, super excited and also really grateful" to play a young Christopher Dean."Growing up, they have been two of my biggest inspirations, and I even did a school project on them, researching their journey from young skaters to Olympic legends," he and Dean said the One Last Dance tour, with performances in venues including Manchester, Liverpool and Glasgow, is "a celebration of our careers".Their gold medal-winning performance of Bolero in 1984 at the Winter Olympics in Sarajevo made the pair the highest-scoring figure skaters of all time for a single gave them a dozen perfect 6.0s and six 5.9s, which included artistic impression scores of 6.0 from every judge. Listen to the best of BBC Radio Lancashire on BBC Sounds and follow BBC Lancashire on Facebook, X and Instagram and watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer.
BBC News
28-03-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
ITV decide not to bring back Dancing on Ice
ITV has said they have no plans to make another series of the skating competition, 'Dancing on Ice'. The show has been on our screens since 2006, but it has not had as many people watching it in recent years. An ITV spokesperson said: "Following another successful series earlier this year, Dancing On Ice will be rested in 2026 with no current plans for another series."We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the cast and crew who have worked on the show since 2006, and over the previous 17 series, for all of their hard work both on and off the ice."But will you miss the show? How do you feel about not seeing the skating show anymore? Let us know using the comments section below. Presenter Holly Willoughby thanked the "cast, crew, celebrities and everyone who has been part of the Dancing on Ice family" over the years. She also paid tribute to Olympic legends and judges Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean, who have also been a part of the show since it began 19 years ago. "It has been an absolute privilege to work alongside true national treasures... and to have a front-row seat to their breath-taking skating. Watching them glide across the ice was nothing less than pure magic", she added. Coronation Street actor Sam Aston and his skating partner Molly Lanaghan were the latest pair to be crowned champions. Other winners of the series have included former Olympic gymnast Nile Wilson and Waterloo Road actor Ryan Thomas.
Yahoo
05-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
ITV Dancing on Ice winner 'revealed' days ahead of final
ITV's Dancing on Ice will return one more time this weekend with its final episode and the bookies are pointing to one star in particular to take home the trophy. The final three couples will go head-to-head in a last push for the top podium with routines including a showcase choreographed by Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean Accoridng to Betfred, Michaela Strachan is currently leading with odds of 4/7 (63.3% probability) to win this weekend. Read more: Warning to drivers over common car battery problem that can cause breakdowns However, Sam Aston is close behind at 11/8 (42.1% probability), with Anton Ferdinand's coming far behind them at just 14/1 (6.7% probability). Everything is still to play for though, as it will ultimately be the final performance that will swing the decision for the judges and viewers alike. Torvill and Dean will be skating together on television for the final time ahead of their farewell tour titled Our Last Dance, marking the end of an era for the duo after 50 years of incredible performances. Ashley Banjo and Oti Mabuse will also be back again to make up the juding panel. This could be the final time viewers enjoy the show though, as a source has now revealed to the Mirror, explaining: 'There are very real fears this is the end of the road for Dancing on Ice. It's had a good run for nearly 20 years and has a very loyal set of viewers who really love it but the sad truth is there's just not enough of them. 'We need bums on seats but the ratings have dropped to a point where it's difficult to justify the cost.' The ITV series originally aired in 2006, but ended after its ninth run in 2014, until four years later, when Jayne and Christopher brought it back. The skating show has seen deminishing returns lately, as the first episode of the current series drew an average of 2.9 million viewers, a significant drop from last year's 3.6 million. ITV's Dancing on Ice will air its grand finale on Sunday, March 9th at 6.30pm.
