Jayne Torvill teases Christopher Dean as she reveals sweet nickname she used when they met

Posing on the ice as they mark the end of 50 glittering years together, are acting like a pair of giddy teenagers. The are recalling the moment in the early Seventies when they first laid eyes on one another at Nottingham Ice Stadium as two working-class youngsters, long before their surnames were inextricably linked, and long before they were catapulted to global sporting glory.

"You were skating with my best friend Sandra at the time," teases Torvill, 67, with perfect timing, rightly judging the "oo-er" reaction she gets from the crowd at the pair's Our Last Dance - 50th Anniversary Tour at .

"I called you the Blond Prince. But what did you think of me?"

"You were Queen Bee of the rink," 66-year-old Dean - ever the charmer - replies. "You were the British Pairs Champion with another partner, Michael, and when you took to the ice, we all had to move out of the way!"

Fortunately, it was fate that got in the way instead in 1975 when Sandra and Michael decided to leave Nottinghamshire for ice-rinks new. At the suggestion of Dean's coach, he teamed up with Torvill and the rest, as they say, is history... and what an incredible half-century of spins and spirals it has been for this ice-dancing duo as the winners of Olympic gold and bronze medals and multiple World, European and British titles.

Not only that, they have sold out world tours, met royalty and US Presidents and, most recently, brought a professional touch to ITV's Dancing on Ice as its judges, choreographers and mentors.

Of course, it is Torvill and Dean's stupendous ice-dance routines that have rightly won them so much praise, and love. As one of lucky ticket holders to their farewell tour, I've been fortunate to see them perform their classic dances Barnum, Mack and Mabel, and, of course, the 1984 Olympic gold medal-winning Bolero, which are interspersed with show stopping numbers from the company's 15 professional ice-dancers.

The eye-catching costumes and choreography, the glitz and the glamour, and the incredible skill of the performers make the show a tour de force - and a top night out to (skating) boot.

Which is just what Torvill and Dean tell me they intended when envisaging the show last year, having already announced their intention to retire.

"We wanted it to be more than just an exhibition tour," says Dean, "so we came up with the idea of telling our life story on ice - through anecdotal stories and multimedia, with screens, and also children who act as the young Torvill and Dean.

"At the same time, we include big production numbers we have performed in competitions. Half of the 15 professional skaters are from our Dancing on Ice family, with the others coming from all over the world to be part of the show. They've been world and Olympic competitors. Rather than retiring quietly, we wanted to do one final celebratory tour and put on a dynamic and spectacular show."

And this they achieve - and then some. Among the many wow factor moments in the show, Torvill and Dean's slick-as-ever, totally-in-sync, rhythmic routines totally steal it. But then they've always worked hard. When the pair first left school aged 15, they had no funding so had to fit their ice-skating schedules around their day jobs, Dean as a trainee policeman and Torvill as an insurance clerk. Sometimes that meant training as early as 2am, a necessity given competition in ice-skating is notoriously fierce.

And after four decades in the business they have seen it all from secretive Russian teams who spent the whole time guarded by minders to the infamous rivalry between US teammates Nancy Kerrigan and Tonya Harding, just weeks after Harding's husband and bodyguard hired two men to break Kerrigan's knees, but thankfully failed, at Lillehammer in 1994.

Yet the golden couple themselves have even had the odd brush with officials, most notably when they chose to set their Olympic gold-winning dance to the Bolero even though it was 18 seconds longer than the official limit, a rule they managed to bend by starting the routine on their knees.

And now watching them rise above all the drama that is now far behind them as they whirl and swirl across the ice, it's hard to believe that both are heading towards 70.

All those 'axels', 'lutzs' and 'salchows' must surely take a toll?

"As you get older, you can't easily do all the things you used to," Torvill admits. "We have to do lots of preparation to stay fit now and there are aches and pains. We've been rehearsing for this show since last summer but if we're in a period when we're not training together, we both use the gym quite a lot and keep fit that way.

"We also eat well and get plenty of rest. We've skated our whole lives and that's kept us fit. We still feel of a standard that we can go out and perform, but that's decreasing all the time and we wanted to be able to end on a high."

It seems it was a mutual decision as Dean nods at Torvill's side.

"It will be sad when the tour ends but we always said we knew when it would be over," he says. "And we both realised this was it. It doesn't get easier, you know - the pains, the aches. We climbed up the mountain, saw the beautiful views, won a few medals and we're able to bow out on our terms. The journey feels complete."

But it's not over yet. The tour concludes in July, appropriately enough in their home city of Nottingham where in 1984 they were given a hero's welcome after winning that Olympic gold.

"We were a little embarrassed," remembers Torvill. "We thought no one would turn out. But the streets were lined. And when we got to the main square in Nottingham, it was completely full. They held a reception for us in the town hall and we came out onto the balcony and waved to the crowd below. That's when it hit us what we'd done. Thinking about it, we were behaving like the Queen."

For both Torvill and Dean, that Olympic win in which they scored perfect '6.0s' across the board, has been the highlight of their career; a highlight for us 24 million Brits watching on TV at home, too, and arguably on a par with England's 1966 World Cup victory or Andy Murray winning Wimbledon in 2013.

"The 1984 Olympics meant everything," says Dean. "You don't realise at the time that four minutes in your career can be so life changing. There are those moments that are pivotal in people's lives - where you make the decision or you do something and it changes everything. The Olympics was that moment for us."

The pair were awarded BBC Sports Personality of the Year for their win, the only time in the gong's history it has gone to two people. Two streets - Dean Close and Torvill Drive - were also named in their honour on a housing estate in Nottingham.

As retirement beckons 41 years on, what are their plans for the future? They've been together - in a professional capacity only - for five decades.

Torvill has previously revealed in interviews how any suggestion of a partnership off the rink was swiftly quashed, telling reporters: "When I was about 14 and still not into boys much, my coach said, 'Whatever you do, don't date your skating partner because if you fall out he won't want to skate with you.'

"That always stuck in my mind. It sounds really boring but we'd train in the evening and go home."

Won't it feel a little like a body part is missing once they're no longer working together? After all, like Morecambe and Wise, Ant and Dec, Fred and Ginger or any other iconic double act, it's impossible to think of Torvill without Dean.

"Although it is time to hang up our skates, we'll be friends for life," smiles Dean. "We've gone through every phase of life together from childhood to retirement, always there for each other.

"We will always see each other and always be connected in some way. And there are other projects we might do together, too, just not on the ice."

Spending so much time together has, in the past, proved to be a bone of contention for their romantic other halves.

Dean's first wife, French-Canadian skater Isabelle Duchesnay, told reporters after their three year relationship ended that she felt, "He (Christopher) had two women in his life. Because his work was more important, that automatically made Jayne more important."

Happily his current partner Karen Barber, chief coach on Dancing On Ice, seems to have a much better relationship with Torvill who describes her as "the sister she never had".

As they navigate their own paths, Dean, who lives with Karen in Bucks and has two sons from a previous marriage, is staying in the fast lane.

"I've always loved adventure sports, and motor racing has always been my passion. I'm waiting to be offered a reality series where we can go racing!" he enthuses.

"I did something fantastic called Formula Ford, which is open-wheel racing. I've also done a skydive, and I was going to get my license, but things got so busy. My son has got his licence, so I'm envious of him. I also like going skiing and diving. Karen and I have also bought a campervan and we're going to explore."

Torvill, who's been married to American sound engineer Phil Christianson for 35 years and with whom she shares two adopted, grown-up children, is looking forward to slowing down and spending time with friends and family.

"Chris and I will be able to meet each other for lunch at our leisure and I'm looking forward to not having a schedule," she smiles.

Which should leave ample time for her to reflect on the last remarkable 50 years. What is the secret of her and Dean's longevity as a successful working couple - theirs is the longest entertainment and sporting partnership in history after all? Jayne doesn't hesitate.

"The secret is that we were never romantically involved and we never got married! That's why we're good friends and have enjoyed working together." As have we all.

Torvill & Dean: Our Last Dance tour runs now until July 12, plesae visit torvillanddean.com for tickets