Dancing on Ice judge Jayne Torvill spoke about how her skating career had meant she delayed having a family

Dancing on Ice judge Jayne Torvill is preparing to celebrate 35 years of marriage with her husband this year.

Despite many people incorrectly believing she’s in a relationship with her ice skating partner Christopher Dean, Jayne’s husband is actually Phil Christensen, an American sound engineer.

The pair tied the knot on 21 September 1990 and they share two children, Kieran and Jessica, who are both adopted.

In 2013, Jayne opened up about her journey to motherhood during an interview on Piers Morgan’s Life Stories.

Read more Dancing on Ice judge Christopher Dean’s relationship with Karen Barber and kiss with Jayne Torvill

She revealed how her ice skating career had meant she left it until her 40s to try and have children, and was then struck by heartbreak after quickly becoming pregnant.

Her pregnancy ended in surgery after it was revealed it was an ectopic pregnancy – when a fertilised egg implants itself outside of the womb, usually in one of the fallopian tubes.

She went on to have 12 months of ‘traumatic IVF treatment.

Opening up on Piers Morgan’s Life Stories in 2013, Jayne said: “As a couple skating together, it’s easy for the guy to go off and start a family because it wouldn’t affect his skating.

“Whereas for me, it would have stopped what we were doing, so I left it quite late and I was into my forties by then.”

She continued: “I got pregnant quite quickly and I thought, ‘Oh this is fine’.

“And when I went to have a scan they said I had an ectopic pregnancy, and I didn’t know what that meant.

“They said, ‘The embryo’s growing in one of the tubes’. And I said, ‘Oh, ok, so how do you get it out then?’.

“And they said, ‘We don’t. We can’t’. That’s when it hit me.

“So I went through the surgery and then it was obvious it was going to be more difficult.

“So we tried IVF for about a year. That, as a lot of women know, is traumatic in itself.”

Jayne and her husband Phil went on to adopt their two children.

While her husband likes to stay private, with the couple deciding not to talk about their relationship, Jayne did recently reveal a hobby they had undertaken together.

Taking to Instagram, Jayne told fans of their “irrational purchase” of a wooden boat with an amazing history which they have been lovingly restoring.

In the post, she said: “All aboard! Back in lockdown, my husband and I made what may seem like an irrational purchase… a stunning little wooden boat with an uncertain fate.

“Her name is Bou Saada and she is a beautiful vessel built in Essex in 1935.

“In 1940, she was requisitioned for war service and took part in the Dunkirk rescue of British soldiers in France, known as Operation Dynamo.

“After years of neglect, we’ve rescued her and I am delighted that she has been nominated for the ‘Classic Boat of the Year’ award in the category for powered boats under 12 metres.

“Please take a moment to vote for our little boat by clicking the link in the bio. Every vote helps preserve the rich history of remarkable boats like Bou Saada! Many thanks, Jayne x.”

Dancing on Ice airs on Sunday, February 16 on ITV1 at 6.30pm.