DANCING On Ice fave Sir Christopher Dean has returned to the judges’ panel — as a magistrate.

The Olympic skating champion, 68, has not been seen on TV since the show was “rested” last year.

Christopher Dean posing in a blue suit with his hands in his pockets.Olympic legend Sir Christopher Dean has returned to the judges’ panel — as a magistrate Credit: PA Ice dancers Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean perform their Bolero routine.Jayne Torvill and Christopher perform their epic dance to Bolero, which was watched by 24 million viewers, at the 1984 Olympics Credit: Getty

A former officer, he is now presiding over acts of a more criminal nature as a justice of the peace in Leeds.

Stunned court staff did a double-take when they spotted him at work this week.

A source said: “He was one of three magistrates presiding over the day’s cases. He was sitting alongside the presiding magistrate as what’s called a winger.

“The panel rose to consider their sentence in a shoplifting case and everyone froze. The dock officer looked at the court clerk and asked if he was seeing things. The court clerk just laughed and said, ‘No, that really is Christopher Dean’.”

Ice-skater Christopher Dean in police uniform carrying ice skates at Ice Stadium.Christopher in his uniform in 1970 Credit: Shutterstock Judges Jason Gardiner, Ashley Banjo, Jayne Torvill, and Christopher Dean on the set of 'Dancing on Ice,' with their scores visible.On the Dancing On Ice judging panel Credit: Rex Features

He was a constable with Nottinghamshire Police, below, before his ice dance career took off with .

in Sarajevo, with their epic dance to Bolero watched by 24 million viewers.

The duo later found fame with a new legion of fans after joining ITV’s Dancing On Ice.

They trained the celebs in its first instalment between 2006 and 2014 but returned as judges when it was revived in 2018.

Olympic ice dancers Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean performing.The pair won a string of titles, including gold at the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo Credit: Getty – Contributor Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean smiling, with Torvill in a red sequined dress and Dean in a black tuxedo.Christopher with dance partner Jayne Credit: Rex Features

Their last TV performance was in the grand final in March 2025, before embarking on a , which wrapped in their hometown of Nottingham last July.

But Sir Christopher has since been secretly working in court.

He sat in judgment over several cases this week, including a woman accused of stealing a sandwich.

Another source said: “He wanted to do something positive for the community after he retired.”

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His spokesman was contacted for comment.