Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean are in "talks" about returning to ‘Dancing on Ice’.
The popular ice skating show is set to make a sensational return to ITV this year – three years after it left television screens – but the channel’s boss Kevin Lygo is adamant he’ll only bring it back if the legendary figure skaters agree to reprise their coaching roles.
A source told the Daily Mirror newspaper: "Jayne and Chris were a huge part of ‘Dancing On Ice’s original success – it wouldn’t be the same without them."
The pair – who famously performed their Bolero routine, which they won the gold medal for at the Olympics in 1983, at the end of every series from 2006 until 2014 – appeared on the show alongside coach Karen Barber to help train the aspiring skaters and offer comments and advice after every live show following the judges’ scores.
Kevin is desperate to bring back the dangerous show, which saw celebrities learn how to figure skate with the help of professionals, this year because he feels bosses at the time had made a huge "mistake" by axing it three years ago.
A source said recently: "Kevin always thought ITV axing ‘Dancing on Ice’ was a mistake so now the idea of bringing it back is being looked at.
"It was a smash hit, and even at its worst was still pulling in more than some of the shows currently on telly – particularly in the Sunday night slot.
"It’s very early days and nothing has been commissioned just yet but it’s definitely on the to-do list. A Sunday night slot would make a lot of sense."
At the peak of its popularity, ‘Dancing on Ice’ – which was originally hosted by Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby – attracted 13 million viewers.
But its audience dwindled over time and it was scrapped altogether in 2014.