Skip to main contentSkip to footer

James and Ola Jordan's worries for daughter Ella ahead of nursery start - exclusive

Catch up on the professional dancers' latest parenting column

james ola jordan
Sophie Hamilton
Parenting Editor
Share this:

HELLO!'s Parenting columnists James and Ola Jordan have enjoyed some fun family time over the last week, spending time with Ola's parents who are visiting from Poland – and needless to say, little Ella had a blast over the Easter weekend.

MORE: James and Ola Jordan emotional as toddler Ella finally reunites with grandparents

In our exclusive video below, James and Ola's two-year-old daughter is seen riding her bike around the family's lovely garden, playing with her grandparents and even practising her golf swing with her dad.

WATCH: Toddler Ella has fun at home with her grandparents

Speaking of golf, James is off on a boys' golf trip this weekend, leaving Ola and Ella to some quality girly time back home.

Ola tells us that she's not at all fussed about going out on the town while James is away, revealing: "I waited to have Ella for such a long time that I've done my going out and partying, so I'm enjoying being a mum now."

Below, the former Strictly stars chat about their week and reveal why Ella starting nursery soon is a daunting prospect…

Easter celebrations with Ella

James: We went round my mum's for Easter and saw my sister, her husband and their children. She's got two girls and one boy.

Ola: Ella plays with her cousin Rose quite a lot. Rose loves children so it's quite nice we've got someone who can take Ella into the garden and play with her.

MORE: Ola and James Jordan discuss: is it OK to be a pushy parent?

easter

Ella looking adorable at Easter

Ola: We didn't do an Easter egg hunt because Ella's a bit young right now. I don't think she'll really understand it, and the amount of eggs we have is ridiculous – and then James ends up eating them!

James: And then people wonder why there's so much child obesity! I eat them, that's the problem. We all got on the scales the other day. Oh my god! [laughs]. It's bad.

Ola: James is going away this weekend so we've decided we'll have this weekend off exercising then start again on Tuesday.

James: It's a sabbatical.

James' boys' weekend

James: I'm going on my yearly trip to Spain to play golf with friends. We haven't been for three years though. There are 12 of us going - 10 are playing golf and another two flying out for the meals and drinks and everything. We've got a northerners vs southerners competition, a bit of fun really.

It sounds weird but the longest I've been away from Ella is a couple of days so I'll miss her. We'll all FaceTime while I'm away though.

jordan family

James is going to miss Ella on his boys' weekend away

Ola: It's quite nice for him to go away because we're together all the time! He's going for five days. It started off as a Saturday and Sunday trip, which turned into a three-day trip, then four days and now five days. I don't know how that worked, but every year he goes away the trip gets longer. Soon it's going to be a week! I don't know why.

HELLO!: Spa break for Ola!

Ola: Yes, I do need to need a spa break! While he's away I'm going to enjoy my time here with my mum and dad and Ella. Tomorrow I'm taking Ella to London to a clothing PR event and my grown-up niece is coming too in case I need help. I could go on a night out with friends but Ella is so clingy when I leave, I prefer to stay home and not deal with the grief.

James: That's probably our issue as much as Ella's.

Ola: I like my bedtimes with her too. I enjoy it. In bed with the bottle and cuddles with mummy. I suppose I don't want anyone else to do it.

MORE: 5 life-saving first aid tips for parents to know

ella golf

Ella playing golf in the garden

Ella starts nursery soon!

James: On 29 April we've got a meeting with a nursery for Ella. We feel quite nervous about it. If we both left now, she would have a massive meltdown, like really bad to the point where she'd throw up.

Ola: Even my mum said, it's quite bad because Ella won't leave me alone. If I go upstairs, she's got to come with me. She won't stay downstairs with my mum and dad. I can't leave the room.

James: Unless I'm here.

Ola: I've heard it's going to be hard leaving her at nursery but we've got to do it at some point, haven't we? She's like a little sponge; she wants to learn so much. She can spell 'Jordan'. She's so good. She's really smart – she's talking to my mum and dad in Polish.

I think the nursery will give her a little step up that we're not giving her. I feel like she needs it now. She needs to be a bit more independent. As much as I hate it because she's my little baby, I feel she needs that step up.

ella jordan garden

Garden fun for Ella

Thinking about potty training

Ola: I'm starting to think about potty training Ella soon.

James: Why don't you do it while I am away? [laughs] I think this golf trip gives you the perfect opportunity. It's like a bonding thing between mother and daughter…

Ola: Yeah, OK James. I'll leave that bonding thing to you. When I've mentioned potty training to Ella a few times, she wasn't that keen. She will come and tell me when she's done a poo, so she knows she needs to be changed.

James: We've got a potty and she sits on it for fun. My mum said that she tried with my sister but it was so early, it actually set her back.

Ola: Yeah but I was trained really early because I was quite smart…

grandparents

Ella is loving her grandparents staying 

Ella enjoys time with her grandparents

Ola: It's lovely to have them staying here at the moment. They don't speak any English but they communicate with Ella. She's very bossy though, she bosses them around.

James: She bosses us around! Are you bossy Ella? Who's the best?

Ella: Daddy best!

Ola: No, mummy is the best

Ella: No, daddy best

HELLO!: How long are your parents planning on staying with you?

Ola: They will go back at some point, but I'm not going to push them to. Probably when they've had enough of us!

Like this story? Sign up to the HELLO! Family Hub newsletter to get other stories like this delivered straight to your inbox.

More Parenting

See more