Christopher Dean looks so different in epic throwback photo from police career

Christopher Dean
'Dancing on Ice' Series 14, TV show launch photocall, Hertfordshire, UK - 12 Jan 2022
Christopher Dean 'Dancing on Ice' Series 14, TV show launch photocall, Hertfordshire, UK - 12 Jan 2022 (David Fisher/ITV/Shutterstock)

Christopher Dean is a household name thanks to his incredible ice-skating career, having won Olympic gold with his skating partner Jayne Torvill in 1984. While it's hard to imagine the Dancing on Ice judge as anything else, he had a very different career before his skating success.

From 1974 up until 1980, the TV star was a police constable in the Nottinghamshire Police Force. For some time, he managed to juggle his skating dreams with his police career and fitted in practice during his off-duty hours. He and Jayne enjoyed success in several national and international competitions but in the same year that they placed fifth in the Winter Olympics of 1980, Chris resigned from the police force so that he could focus on skating full-time.

It proved to be the right call, as he and Jayne made history at the 1984 Olympics, becoming the highest-scoring figure skaters of all time for a single performance.

Nowadays, we're used to seeing Chris, 66, don stylish suits while sitting on the Dancing on Ice judging panel alongside fellow judges Jayne, Ashley Banjo and Oti Mabuse but back in 1979, he looked worlds away from his usual on-screen appearance.

Ice-skater Christopher Dean Wearing His Police Uniform In 1979 - Dean (20) And Jayne Torvill (21) Are In Practise For The European Ice Dancing Championships In Zagreb
Christopher Dean pictured in 1979 (Mike Hollist/ANL/Shutterstock)

In the throwback snap, a 20-year-old Christopher looks dashing in his police uniform while standing outside an ice skating rink. At the time, he and Jayne were in practice for the European Ice Dancing Championships in Zagreb, where they placed sixth.

Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean - Feb 1984 win The Gold Medal for Great Britain in the Olympic Ice Dance Championships in Sarajevo
Christopher and his skating partner Jayne Torvill won gold at the 1984 Olympics (Mirrorpix, Getty)

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In February last year, Christopher and Jayne announced their retirement from skating, 40 years after their Olympic success.

Reflecting on their 1984 win, the TV judge said: "That was really a launching pad of then going off to do other things.

Ashley Banjo, Oti Mabuse, Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean on Dancing On Ice
Chris and Jayne are judges on Dancing on Ice with Ashley Banjo and Oti Mabuse (Matt Frost/ITV/Shutterstock, ITV)

"Touring around the world, skating in front of hundreds of thousands of people and then Dancing On Ice starting up because of winning the Olympics."

Opening up about their decision to retire, Christopher explained: "I think there comes a time when you know. We're not spring chickens any more but we're still able to do it to a certain degree that we feel good about it but that will go.

Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean attend the photocall for Dancing On Ice 2025
Chris and Jayne announced their retirement from skating last year (Getty)

"So I think this is the right time for us to be able to do that and go and skate and do some of the old routines, be very nostalgic, but then do some new fun, upbeat (dances) with friends of ours from the skating world and from Dancing On Ice," continued the star, adding: "We’re looking at it as a celebration."

Dancing on Ice airs on Sunday nights at 6.30pm on ITV and ITVX.