James and Ola Jordan announced their separation after nearly 23 years of marriage, a move they said they 'never imagined they'd be sharing.' In a joint statement, they said: "We're taking some time apart as we work through difficult personal challenges. James moved out of the family home some time ago. This has been an incredibly painful and emotional journey for both of us and it certainly wasn't an easy decision."
Strictly Come Dancing legacy
The couple, who joined Strictly as newlyweds in 2006, were long praised as one of the show's longest-surviving couples, avoiding the so-called 'Strictly curse.' James left in 2013, while Ola stayed until 2015. Ola won the show with presenter Chris Hollis, and James reached the final twice, with psychologist Pamela Stephenson and again with Denise Van Outen.
James, 48, joked that he and Denise were the least popular couple on their series, but they became each other's biggest supporters after bonding in training and surviving a rocky ride with the public vote. "No one likes us," James said at the time. "We looked in the mirror the other day and we said everyone else looks so sweet and we look like bulldogs. We look so aggressive. I'm from Kent, she is from Essex, it is a right combination. We'll have to vote for ourselves."
Bond with Denise Van Outen
Denise, who struggled to win over the public early on because of her dance experience, said: "We are the most unpopular we have been in the bottom two the last two weeks. We know what it is like to almost be walking home so I have already pre-booked my cab." Despite the controversy, the pair made it to the final and continued dancing together on the Strictly Live Tour. They stayed in touch after the show, with James revealing how he comforted Denise as her marriage to Lee Mead fell apart.
"It's been tough for her. I have been checking on Denise and it is a very hard time," he added. "I haven't seen her for quite a while but we keep in touch via text and things like that. She said she is definitely coming to watch the show which will be really good. We did become like best friends. It's sad when you go your separate ways because you spend eight hours a day with someone and then you don't see them any more. It's very strange."
Jealousy and tour tensions
The following year, James was partnered with Vanessa Feltz, while Ola danced with Hollyoaks star Ashley Taylor Dawson. James admitted he could feel jealous: "Ashley is extremely good looking, I wish I looked like that, he is a few years younger than me too. At this moment I don't feel jealous about Ola dancing with Ashley because I kind of clicked with him before they were paired. It's human nature to get jealous so for me to say I wouldn't get jealous, I would probably be lying. Jealousy is healthy. It shows you love the person that you are with."
Before the series started, sources claimed Ola and James appeared at odds on the live tour. On the first night, a source said Ola went to bed early while James stayed up partying with Denise until 2am. Insiders said the following morning Ola had breakfast alone while James dined with Denise, producers, and fellow pro dancer Artem Chigvintsev. "[Denise and James] had become very good friends during their time together, which is of course totally normal. 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," a source told the Mail.
Post-Strictly careers and personal struggles
After leaving Strictly, James appeared on celebrity versions of Total Wipeout and Splash!, on Celebrity Big Brother, and was a regular panellist on The Wright Stuff. He won Dancing On Ice in 2019 with Finnish skater Alexandra Schauman. Ola's TV appearances include All Star Mr & Mrs, Through The Keyhole, Celebrity Coach Trip, and Dancing On Wheels - all with her husband. She also competed on I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! in 2016 but was the third star voted out.
Ola and James have frequently been open about their relationship, including their "heartbreaking" fertility issues and suffering a miscarriage. In an interview with Hello! magazine in 2024, they discussed their relationship, with Ola admitting it can be "stressful" but saying they "love each other dearly," while James said "marriage can be like a job sometimes." "I feel sometimes people are quick to give up on something and think the grass is always greener on the other side," he added.
