Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean will not dance together this week

The former skating champion is recovering from keyhole surgery for a cartilage problem in his right knee.

He will still appear on ITV1's programme as a mentor to the celebrity contestants, but his partner Jayne Torvill will dance alone.

"I want to reassure viewers that I will be back on the ice very soon," he said, adding that this could be next week.

"It'll be odd for me to see Jayne skate on her own - I'll be itching to get out there on the ice with her," he added.

Other injuries

Torvill admitted she was nervous about skating solo: "This week will be odd to be out there on my own. I might feel a bit lonely.

"But Chris has choreographed my routine and I swear he's given me one that's harder than ever."

Dean is not the only participant in Dancing on Ice to have suffered an injury.

Last week, GMTV reporter Michael Underwood broke his ankle, while contestants Samantha Mumba, Aggie MacKenzie and Suzanne Shaw have also been hurt.