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Dancing on Ice's James Jordan – life after Strictly Come Dancing

James has had a busy career

james jordan
Hanna Fillingham
US Managing Editor
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Dancing on Ice star James Jordan has had a busy time since leaving Strictly Come Dancing in 2013. The professional dancer has gone on to make a number of appearances in other popular TV shows, most recently in Dancing on Ice. The celebrity has been partnered with professional skater Alexandra Schauman. James is proving his skating abilities are just as good as his dance skills, and while there has been debate whether he has an unfair advantage as a result of his profession, his legion of fans are rooting for him to win the ITV show. When he isn’t working, the dancer enjoys nothing more than spending time with his wife and former Strictly star, Ola Jordan, and the pair recently welcomed HELLO! into their home for an exclusive interview.

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James Jordan is a contestant on the 2019 series of Dancing on Ice

James Jordan on Dancing on Ice

James is favourite to win Dancing on Ice this year, and has had the support of his former Strictly stars and wife Ola, who have cheered on from the audience during his performances. Just after it was announced that James would be going on the show, he opened up about the assumption that he would be good at skating because of his dancing background. "People are going to probably say I've got an unfair advantage but when I got on the ice, I actually shocked myself how bad I was," he revealed on BBC Radio 5 Live. While the former Strictly pro is a popular contestant, the star admitted that he was having trouble skating due to his arthritis, which was spurred on by a fall on the ice. Writing in his Best magazine column, he said: "I fell practising a jump the other day and landed on my hip. Given I have arthritis there, it wasn't ideal. It hurt - a lot." However James still took part and made it through to the next week.

MORE: Ola and James Jordan open up about their two year struggle to start a family

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James with his wife Ola Jordan

James Jordan on Celebrity Big Brother

James has appeared twice in the Celebrity Big Brother house, first in 2014, where he came out in third place. The star then went back in 2017 for the all-star series. The professional dancer spoke out about his time on CBB recently after hearing that the show had come to an end. He told Digital Spy: "[I'm] gutted, actually. Because everybody knows it started as a social experiment, I just think the whole psychology side of it really interests me, watching how people react under the pressure. I always enjoyed watching in particular the celebrity one, people that you think you know, and then you watch them on TV and then you see them in a different situation and how they cope with it. I'm gutted, but I'm hoping another channel takes it over. I was fortunate enough to do it twice, so for me I really like the show."

James Jordan's other TV appearances

The 40-year-old has been on a number of programmes throughout his career, including Celebrity Coach Trip, which he appeared on alongside Ola, and Through the Keyhole. The couple also took part in a celebrity version of Total Wipeout in 2009 while they were still on Strictly.

READ: James and Ola Jordan announce devastating news

James Jordan's personal life

In February, James and Ola gave a joint exclusive interview to HELLO! about their hopes to have a baby in the future. The couple – who have been married for more than 15 years – have been trying to conceive for two years but with no success. "I would love to be a mum with all my heart and I just thought it would happen naturally," said Ola, 36. "James is also desperate to have babies and I just wish it could have happened by now. That’s the one gift I would love to give him. I guess I just thought, like most women, that I could choose when the time was right for me; that I could have my career and then have a baby when it felt right. But for us it just hasn’t happened like that." The couple then revealed their plans to start IVF. "The irony is that for 17 years during our career we tried not to have children because dancing is not a career that easily fits in with family life," James said. "When we finally did try, it was a sting to realise we couldn’t conceive straight away. After consultations we’ve realised we are one of the lucky ones and that, with help, hopefully one day we can realise our baby dreams."

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