Former Strictly professional Ola Jordan: ‘Life changed in ways I never expected’

Former Strictly Come Dancing professional Ola Jordan said “life has changed in ways I never expected” and acknowledged living some of her “darkest days”, following her split from husband James.

The couple, who met at a dance competition in 1999 and tied the knot in 2003, announced in August they had separated after 22 years of marriage.

Both professional ballroom dancers and choreographers, the pair share daughter Ella, who they conceived through IVF following a widely publicised three-year fertility struggle.

Ola, 43, shared a selfie to Instagram on Friday alongside their six-year-old, who she described as “my little ray of sunshine”.

She wrote: “There have been moments this summer when my heart has felt heavier than I ever imagined it could.

“Life has changed in ways I never expected, and some days have been incredibly tough.

“But through all of the uncertainty, one thing has remained constant, my beautiful girl Ella.”

The Polish-born dancer also described spending time together over the summer holidays and “making memories” as “my greatest comfort”.

“She may not realise it now, but she has been my little ray of sunshine through some of my darkest days,” Ola added.

“This summer hasn’t been the one I imagined, but I’m choosing to focus on what truly matters – her, our memories, and all the love between us.”

At the end of the post, Ola thanked those who have “shown me kindness or simply reminded me that I’m not alone”, saying their love and support “have meant more to me than you will ever know”.

James and Ola Jordan and their daughter Ella (Kieran Cleeves/PA)

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James recently appeared on ITV’s This Morning and said “it’s been a tough few years” between him and Ola.

Their split was confirmed in a statement on Instagram earlier this month which revealed James “moved out of the family home some time ago”, describing the situation as “incredibly painful and emotional”.

The pair became household names in 2006, when they joined BBC entertainment programme Strictly Come Dancing as professionals.

Ola featured on the hit show until 2015, where she danced with celebrities including Sid Owen, Robbie Savage and Steve Backshall, and also won the Glitterball trophy alongside TV personality Chris Hollins in 2009.

Her other TV appearances include All Star Mr & Mrs, Through The Keyhole, Celebrity Coach Trip and Dancing On Wheels – all with her husband.

Ola Jordan spoke about how she has experienced ‘some of my darkest days’ (Steve Parsons/PA)

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Ola also competed on ITV reality show I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! in 2016 – but was the third star to be voted out of the jungle.

James competed on Strictly until 2013 and was partnered with stars including Vanessa Feltz, Alex Jones, Denise Van Outen, and Pamela Stephenson.

He has also made TV appearances on celebrity versions of Total Wipeout and Splash!, on reality show Celebrity Big Brother, and won Dancing On Ice in 2019, competing with Finnish skater Alexandra Schauman.

Ola and James have frequently been open about their relationship, including their “heartbreaking” fertility issues and suffering a miscarriage.