When is Torvill & Dean on ITV this Christmas? And who stars as the legendary skaters?

Torvill & Dean ITV, Christmas 2018
(Image credit: ITV)

Former EastEnders star Anita Dobson features in the story of the young Torvill & Dean

Torvill & Dean, which tells the story of the early years of skaters Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean, is one of the highlights of ITV’s Christmas line-up.

The one-off explores their first meeting as teenagers in Nottingham in the 1970s right through to them winning Olympic Gold with Bolero in 1984.

Game of Thrones actor Will Tudor stars as Christopher Dean, while Ackley Bridge actress Poppy Lee Friar plays Jayne Torvill.

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Writer William Ivory says: “It’s been such a privilege to work on this piece. Chris and Jayne are such fascinating characters: sports people and athletes with all the grit and determination that entails, but real artists, too, engaging in deeply felt creative and emotional battles.”

When is Torvill & Dean on TV?

ITV is yet to confirm an official date, but it’s expected to be on over Christmas. Torvill & Dean is two hours long.

Who else is in the show?

The cast also includes ex EastEnders star Anita Dobson as Miss Perry, Jayne’s first coach at the Nottingham Ice stadium, with Wild at Heart’s Stephen Tompkinson as Jayne’s father, George, and Access All Areas actress Jo Hartley as Jayne’s mum, Betty.

Also in Torvill & Dean are Dean Andrews and Christine Bottomley as Chris’s parents, Colin and Mavis, and Jaime Winstone as the dancing instructor who pairs the skaters together for the first time.

What do the real Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean make of it?

Torvill and Dean on Dancing on Ice final: 'It's anybody's to win!'

The real Torvill and Dean enjoyed huge success together and are now judges on Dancing on Ice

Well, Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean commented: “We feel very honoured that ITV have commissioned this film based on what was a very significant period in each of our lives. 

“We have thoroughly enjoyed the time we have spent with William Ivory and the team at Darlow Smithson sharing experiences of our passion for skating, the life long friendship that came through our sport and everything that it took to achieve our eventual goal of becoming Olympic champions.”

David Hollingsworth
Editor

David is the What To Watch Editor and has over 20 years of experience in television journalism. He is currently writing about the latest television and film news for What To Watch.


Before working for What To Watch, David spent many years working for TV Times magazine, interviewing some of television's most famous stars including Hollywood actor Kiefer Sutherland, singer Lionel Richie and wildlife legend Sir David Attenborough. 


David started out as a writer for TV Times before becoming the title's deputy features editor and then features editor. During his time on TV Times, David also helped run the annual TV Times Awards. David is a huge Death in Paradise fan, although he's still failed to solve a case before the show's detective! He also loves James Bond and controversially thinks that Timothy Dalton was an excellent 007.


Other than watching and writing about telly, David loves playing cricket, going to the cinema, trying to improve his tennis and chasing about after his kids!