'All good things come to an end!' Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean announce next year's Dancing On Ice will be the final series
- The decision comes after ratings slump during the 2013 season
- The 2014 series also marks the 30th anniversary of the Bolero
- The show, and Torvill and Dean, will bow out with a final tour after the last season
By SARAH BULL
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The skating legends, who act as teachers and mentors for the celebrities on the ITV show, revealed they wanted the programme to 'go out on a high' with a last series.
The 2014 season will also mark the 30th anniversary of the pair's world-famous Bolero routine, which they first performed at the 1984 Olympics.
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Coming to an end: Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean have announced that next year's Dancing On Ice will be the last
Dean said of the decision: 'Next year is going to be the final Dancing On Ice. It has come full circle for us.
'It's 30 years next year since we performed in Bolero on February 14th, Valentine's Day, and we just thought it's full circle.
'We've had this wonderful experience and we just wanted to finish at the top of our game, and the show to be on top of its game.'
Dean added that the show and the subsequent tour will also mark the last time he and Torvill will perform the Bolero, given that it's the routine's 30th anniversary.
Breaking the news: Torvill and Dean announced the end of the show on Daybreak on Tuesday morning
'All good things must come to a finality': The pair described their time on the show as 'incredible'
Showing them how it's done: As well as mentoring the celebrity contestants on the show, Torvill and Dean themselves performed every week
Speaking to Lorraine Kelly and Aled Jones on ITV's Daybreak on Tuesday morning, Dean said: 'We're not going to hang up our skates but we are going to slow them down. I think also because it's been 30 years, it will also be our last Bolero.'
Jayne added of the experience: 'Dancing On Ice has been absolutely fantastic for us. At the point that the show came around, we had thought we were going to retire, then here we were, able to tour again in front of huge audiences, so it's been incredible.'
Dean said: 'We’ve loved the experience and being able to still do what we do and to be watched in the fashion that it is it has been amazing but it has been nine series, nine years.
Ratings slump: Last year's show, won by Beth Tweddle and Dan Whiston, saw disappointing rating figures
In action: Beth and Dan impressed viewers and judges with their routine
'For me that’s six months of my life - I live in America so I come over here - it’s 4 and half of years of being away. All good things reach their finality but out of that other good things happen as well.'
But the show won't be fading away quietly, with Dean promising: 'This last series is going to be the biggest and the best so far.'
The cancellation of the show comes after the programme had disappointing ratings last year.
Back in the day: Next year's series will also mark 30 years since the pair performed their world-famous Bolero routine at the 1984 Olympics
The live final of the 2013 series, which saw Olympic gymnast Beth Tweddle crowned the winner, saw just 6.7million viewers on average tuning in - less than half of the peak of 13million people who tuned in to the 2006 final.
It had been hoped that the return of acerbic judge Jason Gardiner this year would boost ratings, but even the inclusion of Pussycat Doll Ashley Roberts on the judging panel did little to entice viewers to tune in.
Dean said at the time: 'Ratings are down across the board. There are so many channels and so much choice nowadays.'
Torvill and Dean also announced on Tuesday morning that they would follow the final series of the show with one last Dancing On Ice tour.
They said: 'We can't wait to be back on the road and we're already planning the show. It will be the biggest and best tour we've done to date and there will be some great surprises for the audiences across the country - we hope you will come and see us.'
DANCING ON ICE – THE FINAL TOUR 2014
28 – 30 March
Manchester: Manchester Arena
1 – 3 April
London: Wembley Arena
4 – 6 April
Newcastle: Metro Radio Arena
8 – 10 April
Nottingham: Capital FM Arena
11 – 13 April
Glasgow: Hydro Arena
15 – 17 April
Sheffield: Motorpoint Arena
18 - 21 April
Birmingham: NIA Arena
24 – 27 April
Leeds: First Direct Arena
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2328250/Dancing-On-Ice-axed-Torvill-Dean-announce-2014-series-last.html#ixzz2Tvo1F5Kt
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