Strictly couple James and Ola Jordan split after 22 years of marriage

Strictly Come Dancing stars and real-life couple James Jordan and Ola Jordan have split after over two decades of marriage.

The pro dancers wed in 2003 and welcomed daughter Ella in February 2020.

Now, following an incredibly public long-time relationship, the pair have decided they can ‘no longer make it work’.

As claimed by a source, James, 48, and Ola, 43, are ‘devastated’ that things have ended.

The insider added to The Sun: ‘It’s been a huge shock to their friends and family because they always seemed like such a solid couple.

‘But they know in the long run it is the right decision.

‘They have been together for almost 30 years, and while they love and care for each other, things have changed.’

It’s believed that ‘things came to a head recently’.

‘They’ve had some open and honest discussions about their future over the past few months and have now decided that the best option is for them to separate.’

Ola has reportedly removed her wedding ring, as well as her engagement ring from James’s proposal in 2001.

‘Their focus now is on Ella and keeping things settled for her.’

In an additional statement, James and Ola’s manager, Vickie White, confirmed: ‘It is with great sadness that I can confirm that James and Ola began a trial separation some time ago.

‘Their shared priority remains co-parenting their daughter, Ella, and they are committed to putting her well-being first.

‘They would greatly appreciate your understanding as they navigate this difficult time.’

James and Ola had been living with their daughter in Maidstone. In 2023, they downsized from their £2.5million Kent mansion to a five-bed home nearby, which they were documenting the renovations for online.

They were due to celebrate their 23rd wedding anniversary this October.

However, in recent months, they have slowly started disappearing from each other’s Instagram feeds, which is a stark contrast to their usual frequent posting of their family outings and at-home workout videos.

This led to fans starting to speculate and leave comments asking if they had broken up, especially as they would attend events without one another.

The now ex-couple started dating in 1999, having met in Blackpool when James, who started dancing aged 13, was competing.

Speaking previously about seeing James with his then-girlfriend, Polish-born Ola recalled: ‘He was tall and very good-looking, with slicked-back black hair and piercing blue eyes. His dancing was amazing.

‘His partner was Polish, and when I watched them dance together, I was filled with just one thought, “I want to have a partner like that one day.”

Ola received a phone call from James’s girlfriend and dance partner a few months later, explaining who she and James were and that they were both looking to progress with different partners.

She informed Ola that James wanted to visit Poland for a ‘trial’ with Ola, after which they struck up a professional partnership before things turned romantic two years later.

Married life wasn’t always sunshine and sequins, though, as James once described marriage as ‘like a job sometimes’ and something ‘you’ve got to work at’.

‘I feel sometimes people are quick to give up on something and think the grass is always greener on the other side,’ he admitted, to which Ola echoed that it’s ‘not all beautiful’, despite what social media might portray.

‘No one’s got a perfect marriage. It’s a work in progress, and if two people want to be together, they’ll make it happen.’

James and Ola became household names in 2006 when they joined the BBC Strictly family.

In 2009, Ola lifted the Glitterball Trophy with Chris Hollins. Her other celebrity partners included Paul Daniels, Sid Owen, and Kenny Logan.

As for James, he danced with Vanessa Feltz, Denise Van Outen, Alex Jones, and Zöe Lucker across his stint, his best result being in 2010 when he and Pamela Stephenson came third.

James left Strictly in 2013, and Ola left in 2015.

In the years since, they’ve both appeared on TV numerous times – James was in Celebrity Big Brother and won Dancing On Ice, while Ola became a judge on the Polish version of Dancing with the Stars in 2018.