James Jordan has said he is "going through a midlife crisis" as he opened up about the tough time he is experiencing following his split from his wife, Ola Jordan.
The former couple recently announced they had separated after more than 20 years of marriage, with their separation being "trialled" some time ago. The professional dancers, who both starred on BBC's Strictly Come Dancing, first met in 1999 at a dance competition in Blackpool, before officially starting to date in 2000. They tied the knot in 2003, before welcoming their daughter Ella, whom they conceived through IVF in 2020 after a three-year fertility struggle.
James opens up about 'really tough' years
Now, James, 48, has revealed that he has endured a "really tough" time in recent years. Speaking on his new Manopause podcast with former Strictly star Brendan Cole, he said: "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." It comes after James said of the new podcast: "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."
Split confirmed after 22 years of marriage
A statement was released by their manager earlier this month confirming their split, after which James and Ola took to Instagram to issue their own comment, adding that they are working through "very difficult personal challenges", and James moved out of the family home some time ago.
James and Ola became household names with BBC audiences when they joined Strictly together in 2006. James featured on the hit show until 2013 and was partnered with stars such as Vanessa Feltz, Alex Jones, Denise Van Outen, and Pamela Stephenson.
Meanwhile, Ola competed until 2015, when she danced with celebrities including DJ Spoony, Sid Owen, Robbie Savage, Steve Backshall and Iwan Thomas. The Polish dancer also won the coveted Glitterball trophy during her tenure on the show, winning alongside TV personality Chris Hollins in 2009.
