Former Strictly Come Dancing professional James Jordan has opened up about his debilitating battle with ulcerative colitis, revealing the chronic condition left him unable to leave the house and at risk of needing a colostomy bag.
The 48-year-old dancer explained that at the height of his suffering, he had not had a solid bowel movement in three years and likened the chronic inflammatory bowel disease to a disability.
Speaking to the Daily Mail and on his Manopause podcast with co-host Brendan Cole, 50, Jordan shared how the autoimmune condition has severely impacted his energy levels and daily routine over the years.
Ulcerative colitis is a chronic bowel condition where the colon and rectum become inflamed and small ulcers develop on the colon's lining, which can bleed and produce pus.
Jordan described getting extremely ill on a regular basis, saying: "I went on all this medication. I was getting really, really ill, to the point where I had no energy and wasn't able to leave the house. I was really, really ill on a regular basis and the medication wasn't really helping."
He added that medical professionals considered severe interventions: "The next step was steroids and then perhaps a colostomy bag, which I didn't want to go down that route."
Unconventional treatment and smoking warnings
Faced with escalating symptoms, Jordan discussed a strange method he used to manage the illness after noticing a change when he previously quit smoking.
He recalled: "I stopped smoking and, to cut a long story short, one of the consultants said 'did you stop smoking recently?' I said yes, and he said 'right, okay, it can mask symptoms'."
Jordan consulted several specialists to ask if resuming smoking would eliminate his symptoms, before taking the decision into his own hands.
He said: "I started smoking and within two weeks all my symptoms kind of disappeared. But it's also brought on by stress. So even at the moment, if I'm smoking and I'm very stressed, I still do get a lot of bad symptoms. So I haven't got it under control, but it's much better than it was when I was on the medication."
Despite finding temporary relief, Jordan warned other sufferers against following his path, acknowledging that smoking is widely frowned upon and not a recommended medical treatment.
"I'm not going to say to people to do that, because I'm not a doctor, I'm not a specialist on it. I chose that route," Jordan explained, adding: "I was getting to a point where my symptoms were so bad I wanted to try anything. It's not curable, unfortunately."
UK health guidelines strongly advise people with ulcerative colitis not to smoke, as smoking remains the biggest cause of early death and preventable illness in the country.
Charity Crohn's and Colitis UK notes on its website that while small studies indicated nicotine might have positive effects on ulcerative colitis, other research showed it was ineffective and caused numerous side effects, meaning nicotine is not a routinely recommended treatment.
Support through the Manopause podcast
In addition to his health struggles, Jordan highlighted the cathartic impact of launching his Manopause podcast alongside fellow former Strictly Come Dancing star Brendan Cole.
Jordan revealed that he had never really had anyone to confide in until he began having deep conversations with Cole while touring together over the past couple of years.
Describing their close bond, Jordan said: "We got very, very close over the last couple of years, to the point where I trust him implicitly and I think he feels the same. We open up about stuff that's happening in our lives and talk about things, whether that be career crossroads or grief."
After speaking to his agent about their supportive tour discussions, the pair decided to create the podcast to encourage men to speak openly about midlife, mental wellness, careers and health.
Jordan said: "We're just trying to get men talking like women do, which I think is brilliant that women talk about the stuff they go through. But men are told to man up, crack on, get on with it. I think sometimes talking about it and understanding that there are lots of people out there going through the same thing really helps."
Personal struggles and marriage split
The candid health disclosures follow a difficult personal period for Jordan, who announced last month that he is experiencing a midlife crisis following his split from wife Ola Jordan after 22 years of marriage.
The former couple were Strictly Come Dancing's longest-standing professional pairing, spending 26 years together after first dating in 1999 and marrying in 2003, before announcing their separation in a joint statement in August.
Speaking in a promotional trailer for Manopause last month, Jordan confessed: "I'm going through a midlife crisis. The last few years, for me, have been really tough. I'm not afraid to admit it. I put my hands up and say I'm struggling with life at the minute."
He added: "So many different things, with career choices, waking up and not having purpose, things like that. Manopause is for the middle-aged man that's struggling a little bit and hopefully we're going to be able to help ourselves and help you at the same time."
Jordan spoke on behalf of online gaming website WhichBingo.
Understanding ulcerative colitis
According to official NHS guidance, ulcerative colitis is a long-term condition affecting the bowel, where the colon and rectum suffer inflammation and small ulcers can develop on the bowel lining, bleeding and producing pus.
The primary symptoms include abdominal pain, needing to empty the bowels frequently, and recurring diarrhoea that may contain blood, mucus or pus.
While symptom severity varies among individuals depending on the extent of bowel inflammation, patients frequently cycle between periods of mild symptoms or remission and troublesome flare-ups that significantly impact daily life.
