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Our Life on Ice: The Autobiography
THE EXTRAORDINARY STORY OF THE ICE-SKATING DUO WHO BECAME THE NATION'S FAVOURITES - NOW THE SUBJECT OF A MAJOR ITV BIOPIC. When Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean collapsed to the ice at the climax of their routine to Bolero in the 1984 Winter Olympics, the judges could find no fault, awarding them 12 maximum scores of 6.0, while 24 million viewers watching at home in Britain simply looked on in amazement. Suddenly, we were all experts in figure skating, and we wanted to know more about the couple at the heart of it all. Despite intense interest in them, Torvill & Dean kept their lives private, with many still wondering if the pair were really a couple. They turned professional and would eventually spend eight years working on ITV's Dancing on Ice, but still much of their story remained unknown. Now, in Our Life on Ice, Torvill & Dean finally open up about the challenges they have faced and the pressures of life in the public Jayne speaks candidly about her struggle with husband Phil to have children, while Chris reveals the heartache in his family story. And of course, there is the skating, and the stories about what inspired their famous routines, and what the pair hope to achieve in the future as the approach their fortieth anniversary working together. It is the book their millions of fans have been waiting to read.
344 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 9, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
January 6, 2017
I'm a huge fan of Torvill and Dean and was excited to read their autobiography. While I enjoyed it for the information and background it gave me, I found it difficult to stay engaged in the book due to the style of the writing. Most chapters concerned specific topics, such as fame and choreography, covering everything from that topic during their entire career in that chapter. That meant the story jumped backwards and forwards in their career a lot. Routines such as Mack and Mabel and Barnum weren't discussed in detail until the end of the book, whereas I felt it would have been better to discuss them prior to Bolero, to get the sense of their development as ice dancers. Admittedly, I felt some of these topics worked in this format but some didn't.
Also, most of the text was split into comments from Jayne, then Chris, then both of them, back and forth, which also meant the narration itself could be jumpy.
Having said that, I enjoyed the wealth of information it gave me and if you're a fan of Torvill and Dean, it's definitely worth a read.
Also, most of the text was split into comments from Jayne, then Chris, then both of them, back and forth, which also meant the narration itself could be jumpy.
Having said that, I enjoyed the wealth of information it gave me and if you're a fan of Torvill and Dean, it's definitely worth a read.
August 12, 2016
4.5 Stars
Before starting this book, my knowledge of Torvill and Dean was very limited, I remember as a child being forced to watch their 94 Olympics performance because they were good based on their Olympic gold (my family's understatement, not mine) and just not being interested...baring in mind I couldn't have remembered the gold medal as I was only born 2 weeks after. Of course I have seen them on Dancing on Ice, and even saw them live at a Dancing on Ice tour but I knew very little, but was in agreement that they are amazing.
So I can't really comment on how accurate their autobiography is, but I have to assume that since they wrote it, its as good as their memories are.
What I can easily say is that it was written in a very engaging way, and I found myself fascinated learning all about every aspect about this awesome ice-dance duo. From their early childhoods, discovering how they even got into ice-skating, to the Bolero, the many tours, the accident and injuries and also their training and winning mentality, its a very comprehensive look at Britain's much beloved pairing.
The book even touches on their personal lives, their children and their respective relationships, even confirming once and for all what if anything happened between the pair.
If you are interested in Ice Dancing, the quest of Olympic gold, would like to relive the Bolero (which I now know a lot of the story behind it), or generally want to read about the lives of Torvill and Dean from the beginning then I would definitely recommend their autobiography.
I loved the descriptions, and the various members of their team. I also loved the chapter they are in Russia and felt as though I was there alongside them. I was even almost in tears during one chapter as an era was coming to an end - such was my affection for them by that stage, I was feeling very connected to the journey.
Before starting this book, my knowledge of Torvill and Dean was very limited, I remember as a child being forced to watch their 94 Olympics performance because they were good based on their Olympic gold (my family's understatement, not mine) and just not being interested...baring in mind I couldn't have remembered the gold medal as I was only born 2 weeks after. Of course I have seen them on Dancing on Ice, and even saw them live at a Dancing on Ice tour but I knew very little, but was in agreement that they are amazing.
So I can't really comment on how accurate their autobiography is, but I have to assume that since they wrote it, its as good as their memories are.
What I can easily say is that it was written in a very engaging way, and I found myself fascinated learning all about every aspect about this awesome ice-dance duo. From their early childhoods, discovering how they even got into ice-skating, to the Bolero, the many tours, the accident and injuries and also their training and winning mentality, its a very comprehensive look at Britain's much beloved pairing.
The book even touches on their personal lives, their children and their respective relationships, even confirming once and for all what if anything happened between the pair.
If you are interested in Ice Dancing, the quest of Olympic gold, would like to relive the Bolero (which I now know a lot of the story behind it), or generally want to read about the lives of Torvill and Dean from the beginning then I would definitely recommend their autobiography.
I loved the descriptions, and the various members of their team. I also loved the chapter they are in Russia and felt as though I was there alongside them. I was even almost in tears during one chapter as an era was coming to an end - such was my affection for them by that stage, I was feeling very connected to the journey.
April 27, 2018
With the publication of this follow-up volume (on the heels of John Hennessy's "as-told-to" biography from just after the '84 Olympics, and of "Facing the Music" which was about events leading up to the '94 Olympics), I think we can safely add Torvill and Dean to the ranks of serial autobiographers. What is more, they have kept the format more or less consistent with previous books: segments headed "Jayne", segments headed "Chris", and more general narrative headed "Jayne and Chris".
Although it has a general chronological sweep, much of the book is arranged into subject-based chapters which, I assume, is to disguise the fact that the book is necessarily a bit thinner than its predecessors where it revisits the amateur and early professional career covered in the other books, while still giving the opportunity to revisit and perhaps recast the previously narrated events from the an older (and wiser?) perspective. One subject that stood out to me because I was actually a little surprised at how undiplomatically it was handled was Chris' brief and unhappy marriage to Isabelle Duchesnay, and specifically the wedding, which was apparently made into a spectacular production against Chris' wishes by Isabelle's overbearing family. He is much more restrained (to the point of reticence) on what went wrong in his second marriage, to Jill Trenary, presumably because (a) there are kids and (b) they're still on good terms.
The major new material in this book relates to the British television show "Dancing on Ice", a "Strictly Come Dancing" clone, similar to "Dancing With The Stars" in the US - a reality competition where somewhat courageous celebrities learned basic skating and then performed highly-produced numbers weekly for judges, with regular eliminations. The "hook" of the show, of course, was that Torvill and Dean also performed regularly and, from my youtube explorations, sometimes with gimmicks not entirely necessary, given how very well they seem to have kept up their basic skills. Though there are obvious and expected declines in speed and flexibility, it's really remarkable how good they still were during this decade-long run, and it was a remarkably smart substitute for the rigours of touring in large-ice arenas where they would always have been measured against the audience's memories of their competitive prime (not to mention worn out by travelling). I was pleased also to see some discussion of Christopher Dean's choreography, for other skaters and for his brief venture into (autobiographical) modern dance. It wasn't terribly satisfying discussion - he seems to be one of those people who are much better at doing it than talking about it - but at least it's there.
Amongst the other fairly lengthy tributes to mentors and collaborators, we get a much better sense than before of the importance to the team of Jayne's husband Phil Christensen, who was a sound engineer on one of their professional tours (he came via the rock music world), and who eventually ended up in a central management role for their career. Among the least interesting aspects of the book - although it's been something that's been shoved in their face over the years, so I suppose they felt they had to address it yet again - is the rather uninteresting question of whether Torvill and Dean had a romantic relationship themselves. If you believe them, it amounted to one exploratory kiss in the back of a tour bus, and a mutual decision that anything more would mess up their working relationship and career. I see no reason not to believe them.
There's nothing shocking about this book because Torvill and Dean remain obstinately unshocking. Just two people who have been remarkably good at what they do for a remarkably long time, and who have taken the trouble to give us a bit of serial-autobiographical context to their main legacy which is, of course, all that wonderful - and fortunately for us, recorded - ice dancing.
Although it has a general chronological sweep, much of the book is arranged into subject-based chapters which, I assume, is to disguise the fact that the book is necessarily a bit thinner than its predecessors where it revisits the amateur and early professional career covered in the other books, while still giving the opportunity to revisit and perhaps recast the previously narrated events from the an older (and wiser?) perspective. One subject that stood out to me because I was actually a little surprised at how undiplomatically it was handled was Chris' brief and unhappy marriage to Isabelle Duchesnay, and specifically the wedding, which was apparently made into a spectacular production against Chris' wishes by Isabelle's overbearing family. He is much more restrained (to the point of reticence) on what went wrong in his second marriage, to Jill Trenary, presumably because (a) there are kids and (b) they're still on good terms.
The major new material in this book relates to the British television show "Dancing on Ice", a "Strictly Come Dancing" clone, similar to "Dancing With The Stars" in the US - a reality competition where somewhat courageous celebrities learned basic skating and then performed highly-produced numbers weekly for judges, with regular eliminations. The "hook" of the show, of course, was that Torvill and Dean also performed regularly and, from my youtube explorations, sometimes with gimmicks not entirely necessary, given how very well they seem to have kept up their basic skills. Though there are obvious and expected declines in speed and flexibility, it's really remarkable how good they still were during this decade-long run, and it was a remarkably smart substitute for the rigours of touring in large-ice arenas where they would always have been measured against the audience's memories of their competitive prime (not to mention worn out by travelling). I was pleased also to see some discussion of Christopher Dean's choreography, for other skaters and for his brief venture into (autobiographical) modern dance. It wasn't terribly satisfying discussion - he seems to be one of those people who are much better at doing it than talking about it - but at least it's there.
Amongst the other fairly lengthy tributes to mentors and collaborators, we get a much better sense than before of the importance to the team of Jayne's husband Phil Christensen, who was a sound engineer on one of their professional tours (he came via the rock music world), and who eventually ended up in a central management role for their career. Among the least interesting aspects of the book - although it's been something that's been shoved in their face over the years, so I suppose they felt they had to address it yet again - is the rather uninteresting question of whether Torvill and Dean had a romantic relationship themselves. If you believe them, it amounted to one exploratory kiss in the back of a tour bus, and a mutual decision that anything more would mess up their working relationship and career. I see no reason not to believe them.
There's nothing shocking about this book because Torvill and Dean remain obstinately unshocking. Just two people who have been remarkably good at what they do for a remarkably long time, and who have taken the trouble to give us a bit of serial-autobiographical context to their main legacy which is, of course, all that wonderful - and fortunately for us, recorded - ice dancing.
June 25, 2020
Fantastic book by 2 absolute legends of their sport. I've always loved watching ice skating but never realised how much work went into sorting the track to skate to, let alone hours of practice.
I found it confusing how it was split into topics rather than a chronological order of events but that doesnt take away from it being an absolutely brilliant book!
I found it confusing how it was split into topics rather than a chronological order of events but that doesnt take away from it being an absolutely brilliant book!
May 5, 2024
Although ten years old now, this memoir of English ice dancers Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean was enthralling. I have not read their earlier memoirs, published shortly after their peak of fame when they won the Gold medal at the 1984 Olympics in Sarajevo. I have been following figure skating since the 1970's and so I watched their 1984 performance of Bolero live on television. It was riveting and even life-changing. Torvill and Dean had transformed the sport of ice dance into something so artistic and new as to be unrecognizable.
This memoir is divided into sections by Jayne, sections by Chris, and sections by both. I loved this format. It was as if they were taking turns speaking to the reader. Their style of writing is conversational and clever in the British way. They come across as honest and open and they answer practically all the questions you might want answers to.
One thing that becomes clear from this memoir is that Torvill and Dean never rested on their laurels from the 1984 triumph that made them world famous. They went on to use their talents for skating, choreography, tour organizing, and mentoring for decades after that watershed moment. They starred in a long-running television show called "Dancing on Ice" which was similar to shows in which celebrities compete at ballroom dancing. It was extremely interesting to find out all the projects these two had been involved in over the years since 1984.
Torvill and Dean did not come from posh families, but from working class stock in Nottinghamshire, England. Neither attended university. Their talent and energy lifted them from those ordinary beginnings to the top of their profession. They remain unpretentious even as two of the best known and most successful skaters in the world.
This book is highly recommended for any figure skating fan. Even if you, like me, missed it when it was first published in 2014-2015, it is well worth reading now. Young skating fans should watch historic Torvill and Dean performances on YouTube and then read this book. Learning about these two skating legends is well worth your time.
This memoir is divided into sections by Jayne, sections by Chris, and sections by both. I loved this format. It was as if they were taking turns speaking to the reader. Their style of writing is conversational and clever in the British way. They come across as honest and open and they answer practically all the questions you might want answers to.
One thing that becomes clear from this memoir is that Torvill and Dean never rested on their laurels from the 1984 triumph that made them world famous. They went on to use their talents for skating, choreography, tour organizing, and mentoring for decades after that watershed moment. They starred in a long-running television show called "Dancing on Ice" which was similar to shows in which celebrities compete at ballroom dancing. It was extremely interesting to find out all the projects these two had been involved in over the years since 1984.
Torvill and Dean did not come from posh families, but from working class stock in Nottinghamshire, England. Neither attended university. Their talent and energy lifted them from those ordinary beginnings to the top of their profession. They remain unpretentious even as two of the best known and most successful skaters in the world.
This book is highly recommended for any figure skating fan. Even if you, like me, missed it when it was first published in 2014-2015, it is well worth reading now. Young skating fans should watch historic Torvill and Dean performances on YouTube and then read this book. Learning about these two skating legends is well worth your time.
August 27, 2018
Really good. As someone who followed them from the beginning, and still has newspaper cuttings of that perfect 6.0 score which I can still hear Barry (wotshisname) get excited about in my head, it was a privilege to be let in to their lives and to be able to see them do what they do best at one of those Wembley shows. It tells of their lives in an honest way, as you would expect. They always have been my heroes for stopping that awful disconnected music that used to go on with the Ice Dance with nothing even remotely connecting it. I will forever have that picture in my head of Jane clutching that elephant just after they'd performed Barnum and then won. Thank you. Really good insight into what goes into those amazing performances, you really are National Treasures.
January 31, 2019
Brilliant book.
Loved the honousty of this book, always thought this couple were marvellous, and deserved everything they did in there lives, worked so hard for it all. So glad they came back into television with dancing on ice. Lovely families as well, l wish them both good wishes for the future..
Loved the honousty of this book, always thought this couple were marvellous, and deserved everything they did in there lives, worked so hard for it all. So glad they came back into television with dancing on ice. Lovely families as well, l wish them both good wishes for the future..
March 26, 2019
Love a good back history
Fab book, very in depth of how it all started with them from the highs to lows.
Only thing I found was the usage of very large backdated words that had to read over and over to get the gist of what was being said and even look them up. So i was ending up reading and re-reading the same sentences 3+ times so it sat right and I understood it fully.
Fab book, very in depth of how it all started with them from the highs to lows.
Only thing I found was the usage of very large backdated words that had to read over and over to get the gist of what was being said and even look them up. So i was ending up reading and re-reading the same sentences 3+ times so it sat right and I understood it fully.
April 4, 2021
I love ice skating and I'm fascinated by it and Torvill and Dean. I had this book for years and finally read it, just interesting to get an insight into their journey and lives. This book was also very casual and had some humour in it! Their friendship is just indescribable and happy they have had all these memories together.
January 30, 2022
Really enjoyed reading this.
I have been a fan of torvill and dean since dancing on ice. I’m too young to have seen the bolero at the olympics but I have sat and watched every performance wrote about on YouTube.
It was a nice way of learning about them and everything they achieved
I have been a fan of torvill and dean since dancing on ice. I’m too young to have seen the bolero at the olympics but I have sat and watched every performance wrote about on YouTube.
It was a nice way of learning about them and everything they achieved
January 13, 2026
I first picked this book up in a Scotland library. It was interesting to read about their life and processes as skaters. I also learned a cool fact about how they put the ice down at the rinks. Loved reading about all the competitions and skaters,
January 24, 2018
Enjoyable read covering the rise of the two skaters who I fell in love with as a child and avidly followed their career from their Olympic win . Really glad to see they came back to Dancing on Ice !
May 13, 2018
it was really nice to read about their life.
January 6, 2019
After watching the TV show about Torvill and Dean I wanted to find out more about the ice dancing duo.. This book didn't disappoint
January 30, 2019
Fantastic!!!
Great to revisit the story. I have always been a great fan of torvill and Dean, this book was written with a real honesty, bringing the story to life.
Great to revisit the story. I have always been a great fan of torvill and Dean, this book was written with a real honesty, bringing the story to life.
February 14, 2019
Great book
Amazing read so in depth . Really good autobiography of two excellent sports stars. They have done so much for the ice skating world
Amazing read so in depth . Really good autobiography of two excellent sports stars. They have done so much for the ice skating world
March 25, 2019
I like reading about Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean journey before the 1984 Olympic, during the Olympics and after including Dancing on Ice.
April 21, 2019
Amazing
Always been fascinated by these two since seeing them in the 1980s and watching them twice live. Don't normally like autobiographies but this was really good
Always been fascinated by these two since seeing them in the 1980s and watching them twice live. Don't normally like autobiographies but this was really good
July 22, 2019
Great book
Lots of interesting history to the build up of the famous Bolero and beyond. The fact that they didn't become romantically is amazing.
Lots of interesting history to the build up of the famous Bolero and beyond. The fact that they didn't become romantically is amazing.
June 20, 2020
I enjoyed this autobiography from T&D. Interesting glimpse into their career and lives.
December 24, 2020
They made icedancing look easy. As I found out in 1984, it is not. I loved this look into their life and career. I will always love them.
September 1, 2023
I know Torvill and Dean only from Dancing Ice. Very likeable characters and interesting to read about their upbringings and what drew them into their current careers. Great book!
August 1, 2025
I loved reading this! The story of this pair’s amazing career on ice is really worth reading. They deserve all the accolades they receive for what they have achieved. Recommend!
October 11, 2014
I was excited when I first heard about this book and couldn't wait to read it. As I wasn't even born when Torvill & Dean were at the height of their career, Dancing on Ice was the first time I heard about them. I absolutely loved the show, and was gutted when it ended earlier this year (2014). Before DOI I wouldn't have thought of even watching ice skating, or dancing yet the show opened up for me and many people around the UK a whole new thing to watch, I'm yet to actually go on the ice myself though, maybe one day.
I have since watched countless videos of T&D on the ice on YouTube. You could honestly watch them skate for hours and having witnessed it for myself live, it really is a thing of beauty. Jayne and Chris say that they wanted to turn ice dancing into an art form and they have definitely achieved that. They are just a joy to watch. In the book they say they have skated an estimate of 250k miles and skated Bolero no less than 2000 times which is just staggering.
From birth to the present day Chris and Jayne take us through their whole lives. Having never read their previous book, or watched the Life Stories interview they did all the stories were new to me, that said die hard fans will love this book because as the duo say they now look at things differently than they did 20 years ago when they first released a book and of course they now have different opinions on things and new experiences to share. Chris' upbringing was somewhat troubled, and I actually found it crazy what it was that first got him into ice skating. Fate does work in mysterious ways and what happens here is a definite example of that.
It's a very heartwarming read at times with some lovely, touching stories. They are incredibly fortunate to have achieved what they have, yet it wasn't without its problems and obstacles yet they overcame them all. Their relationship is also great too. We are all very lucky if we can have that person that is there for us no matter what, that friend you can always turn to and Jayne and Chris have each other. It also shows that the argument of whether men and women can just be friends is idiotic, they can. They talk with such love and passion about the people that have helped them along the way and also very openly about the hurdles they had to overcome along the way too.
With paragraphs from just one of them or both together the book is written in a conversational way, almost like you are sitting talking to them rather than just reading a book. Coming across how they do on TV it's nice to read a book from two genuine people with a story to tell rather than just someone churning out a book for the sake of it. If the passion isn't there it just isn't worth reading. I enjoyed, and winced reading about some of the accidents they have had on the ice. And the controversy they have had, especially with the Russians. Perhaps Jackie Collins could write a book set in the ice skating world as there's plenty to write about!
There's also some touching and at times emotional stories about their marriages and Jayne's problems with having children which I had no idea about. I suppose the celebrity obsessed part of me wanted some juicy information or a bit of untold gossip but I guess the truth is it just isn't there. They really were just always friends, having more of a brother/sister relationship more than anything else and there was no great drama surrounding Chris' marriage breakdowns and how he got together with Karen. I was a bit disappointed with the Dancing on Ice chapter, it was very short and not very revelatory. I would've liked their thoughts on some of what went on, for example with the contestants or the judges but at the same time I appreciate this is their life story and that sort of stuff wouldn't be totally relevant.
Overall though it was a really enjoyable read, from two people who have remained grounded and down to Earth, they come across as friendly, humble and have told their story openly and honestly and when you read an autobiography that's all you can ask for.
Thanks to the publisher for the review copy.
I have since watched countless videos of T&D on the ice on YouTube. You could honestly watch them skate for hours and having witnessed it for myself live, it really is a thing of beauty. Jayne and Chris say that they wanted to turn ice dancing into an art form and they have definitely achieved that. They are just a joy to watch. In the book they say they have skated an estimate of 250k miles and skated Bolero no less than 2000 times which is just staggering.
From birth to the present day Chris and Jayne take us through their whole lives. Having never read their previous book, or watched the Life Stories interview they did all the stories were new to me, that said die hard fans will love this book because as the duo say they now look at things differently than they did 20 years ago when they first released a book and of course they now have different opinions on things and new experiences to share. Chris' upbringing was somewhat troubled, and I actually found it crazy what it was that first got him into ice skating. Fate does work in mysterious ways and what happens here is a definite example of that.
It's a very heartwarming read at times with some lovely, touching stories. They are incredibly fortunate to have achieved what they have, yet it wasn't without its problems and obstacles yet they overcame them all. Their relationship is also great too. We are all very lucky if we can have that person that is there for us no matter what, that friend you can always turn to and Jayne and Chris have each other. It also shows that the argument of whether men and women can just be friends is idiotic, they can. They talk with such love and passion about the people that have helped them along the way and also very openly about the hurdles they had to overcome along the way too.
With paragraphs from just one of them or both together the book is written in a conversational way, almost like you are sitting talking to them rather than just reading a book. Coming across how they do on TV it's nice to read a book from two genuine people with a story to tell rather than just someone churning out a book for the sake of it. If the passion isn't there it just isn't worth reading. I enjoyed, and winced reading about some of the accidents they have had on the ice. And the controversy they have had, especially with the Russians. Perhaps Jackie Collins could write a book set in the ice skating world as there's plenty to write about!
There's also some touching and at times emotional stories about their marriages and Jayne's problems with having children which I had no idea about. I suppose the celebrity obsessed part of me wanted some juicy information or a bit of untold gossip but I guess the truth is it just isn't there. They really were just always friends, having more of a brother/sister relationship more than anything else and there was no great drama surrounding Chris' marriage breakdowns and how he got together with Karen. I was a bit disappointed with the Dancing on Ice chapter, it was very short and not very revelatory. I would've liked their thoughts on some of what went on, for example with the contestants or the judges but at the same time I appreciate this is their life story and that sort of stuff wouldn't be totally relevant.
Overall though it was a really enjoyable read, from two people who have remained grounded and down to Earth, they come across as friendly, humble and have told their story openly and honestly and when you read an autobiography that's all you can ask for.
Thanks to the publisher for the review copy.
March 9, 2017
Fascinating to look behind the glamour to the real hard work, discipline and determination it takes to be an elite athlete at such a challenging sport. I learnt a lot and my admiration for the pair grew as I read about their lives.. Tey do not gloss over problems or difficulties making this real.
I wonder if they wold have been successful with other skating partners? We will never know!
I wonder if they wold have been successful with other skating partners? We will never know!
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May 28, 2020Good read
It’s a good read gives you an insight into how much they wanted to be champions and how much time and effort they put into training etc. To achieve their goal .
It’s a good read gives you an insight into how much they wanted to be champions and how much time and effort they put into training etc. To achieve their goal .
August 31, 2023
[Audiobook version]
Disappointingly, this skipped over the early/formative years and instead dwelt on things like their separate marriages, divorce, kids, etc. I wanted to learn more about how they achieved what they did, but the narrative wasn't chronological and there wasn't a lot of detail about the years leading up to Bolero.
Disappointingly, this skipped over the early/formative years and instead dwelt on things like their separate marriages, divorce, kids, etc. I wanted to learn more about how they achieved what they did, but the narrative wasn't chronological and there wasn't a lot of detail about the years leading up to Bolero.
June 19, 2025
4.5 stars, even though the order is not strictly chronological. Excellent follow up to "Facing the Music", even with a bit of duplication. I liked reading more about Jayne's relationship with her husband, I found it interesting that Chris seems to have mellowed a lot in regards to Isabelle, and I was surprised by how warmly he talked about Jill - just like he did on the documentary when they first got together. Made me think he didn't want to get divorced.
Most people who will read this will probably be big fans, who've seen the infamous 1994 documentary and read the Hennessey book from 1983. Both are referenced, the Hennessey book in order to clarify their comments about each other. Not sure I believe them when they say they were never romantically involved other than the one snog on the coach. Nicky Slater referenced a short relationship in the early years in "Spice on Ice" (the book about he and Karen Barber from 1985 or so), and I've also found an old interview Chris did (which I haven't been able to relocate) from the early aughts (before DOI when they had briefly lost their high profile and people were less interested in them) where he said they were together for a few weeks when they were young and it just sort of dissolved naturally. But given their age and innocence at the time, I get it.
And they say they won't retire again, thank goodness!
Most people who will read this will probably be big fans, who've seen the infamous 1994 documentary and read the Hennessey book from 1983. Both are referenced, the Hennessey book in order to clarify their comments about each other. Not sure I believe them when they say they were never romantically involved other than the one snog on the coach. Nicky Slater referenced a short relationship in the early years in "Spice on Ice" (the book about he and Karen Barber from 1985 or so), and I've also found an old interview Chris did (which I haven't been able to relocate) from the early aughts (before DOI when they had briefly lost their high profile and people were less interested in them) where he said they were together for a few weeks when they were young and it just sort of dissolved naturally. But given their age and innocence at the time, I get it.
And they say they won't retire again, thank goodness!
January 23, 2015
As someone that took up ice skating at the age of 14 in 1979, having wanted to learn for a few years, I have been following Torvill and Dean and their careers since about 1978. This was a very interesting book for me because most of the events they write about, I actually witnessed or watched on TV and went to all their ice shows before Dancing On Ice. The main thing to say is that it is really easy to read but sometimes doesn't go into detail . For me, this doesn't matter as I read the other books that go before this that covers all of these events etc.However, it does cover all of their career right up to the present and so, to cover everything again would make for a much larger book so my advice is that, maybe, if you don't know much about their career, it would be a good idea to read the first book written about them by John Hennessey, (same title, Torvill and Dean) and the one that comes after that is really comprehensive
called Facing The Music. All in all a good and easy read.
called Facing The Music. All in all a good and easy read.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews