Joey Essex received a special "hidden gesture" from Jayne Torvill during an emotional performance on Sunday's episode of Dancing on Ice.

As a top contender for this year's title, Joey had two routines to perform, including a personal number with his rumoured girlfriend and professional partner Vanessa Bauer.

In a pre-performance video, Joey shared that the song he skated to, Lighthouse Family's High, held significant meaning as he remembered hearing it on a family holiday to Marbella after his mother's suicide when he was 10.

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Joey dedicated the performance to his late mother.

Vanessa, who lost her father last year, also connected with the song.

After the performance, Winter Olympic legend Chris Dean revealed that Jayne had squeezed his hand during the routine's most ambitious lift, hoping for Joey's success.

Jayne explained that she did so as she willed Joey to successfully complete the most ambitious lift in the routine, telling him: "I squeezed his hand as you were coming up to the big lift. I was like 'please do it, please do it!'"

Despite wearing an arm sling from an accident during rehearsals and having had surgery just days before the semi-final, Jayne returned to the show to support the contestants.

Speculation about a potential romantic relationship between Joey and skating partner Vanessa have been circulating for several months.

The pair looked particularly happy together in a recent Instagram post shared ahead of the semi-final, where Joey can be seen flashing his smile alongside Vanessa. Vanessa later posted the same picture to her Instagram stories, with the caption: “Taking it all in @dancingonice @joeyessex.”

The Instagram post followed a surprising moment on live TV last month when Joey and Vanessa kissed after performing a routine dressed as Troy and Gabrielle from High School Musical. Joey even announced to hosts Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby that it was Vanessa's "first kiss on TV ever."

The pair's kiss occurred after he had returned to rehearsals following a skating injury he sustained the previous month. The former Towie star had been forced to rest and recover after the injury.

Joey later provided an update on his recovery to his 1.8 million Instagram followers, sharing a picture of himself lying in bed.

In the photo, his right knee and shin were wrapped in a black support, while his foot was covered with a sticker of an ice skate, which suggested he might have injured it further.

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