Former Strictly Come Dancing professional dancers Ola Jordan and James Jordan have separated after nearly 23 years of marriage, their publicist confirmed on Friday. The couple went their separate ways "some time ago" and have been co-parenting their six-year-old daughter, Ella.
"It is with great sadness that I can confirm that James and Ola began a trial separation some time ago," their publicist said in a statement. "Their shared priority remains co-parenting their daughter, Ella, and they are committed to putting her wellbeing first."
Friends of the couple insist that relations remain amicable and that the separation came as a "shock." However, signs of marital strain had been observed by onlookers as far back as 2013.
Tensions during the 2013 Strictly live tour
In January 2013, during the opening night of the Strictly Come Dancing live tour at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham, Polish-born Ola danced into the lead with Olympic gymnast Louis Smith. Later that night at Birmingham's Malmaison hotel, 43-year-old Ola sat alone at the bar looking glum while her husband partied nearby.
James, 48, spent the evening drinking shots until 2am and dancing with his celebrity dance partner, 52-year-old Denise van Outen. Witnesses noted that the Jordans, who had been married for almost ten years and ran a dance business together, did not exchange a single word all night.
The following morning at breakfast, neither James nor Ola was wearing a wedding ring. While Ola ate alone, James sat at a separate table with Denise, pro dancer Artem Chigvintsev, and several television producers.
Backstage closeness at the BBC Television Centre
Rumours about the marriage began circulating after James and Denise formed a close friendship while competing together on Strictly, reaching the show's final in December 2012. After filming the episode where they reached the final week, the pair were seen huddled together in conversation in the green room at the BBC Television Centre in White City.
Ola was absent from the gathering after being forced to make repeated dashes to Poland to visit her unwell mother. A source present in the green room recalled that James and Denise sat very close and kept to themselves all night.
"They were sat very close and deep in conversation," the source said. "They very much kept themselves to themselves. No one went over to them all night, it was just the two of them sat at the table."
"They had become very good friends during their time together, which is of course totally normal," the source added. "They both wanted to win but there were rumours that Ola was upset about it, like she had been cast out. Ola seemed broken at that time while James was having a great time with Denise." The source noted that there was widespread chatter about the marriage at the time.
Strictly exits and professional friction
Away from the screen, sources close to the couple's management team regularly suggested that James was "jealous" of Ola's success and popularity with viewers. Kent-born James also developed a reputation for being domineering, loud, and aggressive within the show.
During the 2006 series of Strictly, James clashed with his celebrity partner, Casualty actress Georgina Bouzova. He told her what he would do if she forgot her dance moves: "I'll drag you across the floor and then scream at you when we get off." He also called her fat.
Months after the January 2013 tour date in Birmingham, Strictly bosses axed James from the show, citing perceived arrogance. James was reported to be furious about the decision.
Five months later, in October 2014, reports revealed that Ola would leave Strictly at the end of that series. Although the official explanation was that the couple wanted to have a baby, insiders questioned whether James was behind her exit.
"The public loved Ola, so did the BBC, and so did her celebrity partners. The same wasn’t true for James," a source said. "Then all of a sudden, after he was axed, she left. It felt like he was behind it. The party line at the time was that they wanted a baby, and of course they did [have one] some years later after much trying."
The source added: "She seemed to go along with a lot of what he wanted to do. But while it was all packaged up by her team as Ola’s decision, there was much speculation that she was sad to have given it up." Friends from the show expressed concern for Ola, with some doubting she genuinely wanted to quit.
Post-show fitness venture and Dance Shred
Following their departures from Strictly, life went quiet for the pair, other than occasional appearances in celebrity magazines. In 2023, they launched Dance Shred, a commercial fitness programme offering diet and exercise plans.
The couple created the fitness scheme after losing a combined six-and-a-half stone in five months, prompted by an unflattering poolside photograph. However, industry insiders claimed Ola was simply following her husband's lead once again.
"It was quite unseemly and if you look at the videos it appeared that Ola was just going along with it because James wanted to do it," an industry source said. "It felt very sad. Now, at least, Ola is single and she can do whatever she likes."
