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Exclusive: Toddler Ella pulls parents Ola and James Jordan's heartstrings on nursery trip

The professional dancers chat about their week with HELLO!


ola jordan
Sophie Hamilton
Parenting Editor
June 10, 2022
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It's been a very mixed week for the Jordan household with a Jubilee street party, a return to nursery for their two-year-old daughter Ella and health worries for James and Ola's little girl.

MORE: Exclusive: Ola and James Jordan are bursting with pride at Ella's first sports day

When we catch up with the former Strictly dancers for their HELLO! Parenting column, James is getting ready to leave for a two-day golf trip in Jersey on the 'Legends Tour', where senior golf pros play celebrities for charity.

WATCH: Ella and Ola have mummy-daughter time

"I was actually asked to stay longer but I thought, no, I don't want to leave Ola," says James admirably. "Oh that's so nice of you," laughs Ola, who reveals, "I'm trying to book my girls' trip because mummy hasn't had a trip. I’m due one!"

Ella, who is making great headway with her talking, pipes up: "Hi, I went to the park!" We ask if she went on the swings. "Yeah. Went really high," she cutely tells us.

"And what did we do after the park?" asks Ola. "Muffin," says Ella. "Yes, you had a muffin and apple juice."

Catch up on the Jordans' week below…

ella scooter

Ella has fun on her scooter

Ella’s nursery setback

Ola: Ella went to nursery yesterday which was the first time in a long time because we were away in Turkey and it was half term, so there were two weeks where she didn’t go.

As soon as we got in the car she knew she was going to nursery. She goes really quiet and every time I turned around to look at her she had the saddest face. She really pulled my heartstrings. It was hard, very hard.

Then when I took her into nursery she went to her teacher but she cried. Still, when you ask her, 'How was your day?', she says, 'I cried'.

James: That's what she thinks of nursery! It's sad, really. She'll get better, it'll toughen her up.

Ola: And it will toughen daddy up too. He still doesn’t want to take her in because he finds it so hard. I find it just as hard but I'm trying to be strong here. When I walked back to the car yesterday, I thought, 'This is really not getting any easier.'

ella balls

Ola took Ella to the trampoline park

MORE: From grumpy, to cheeky, to overjoyed: Prince Louis' 7 best moments at the Queen's Jubilee

Ella's mystery cough

James: Ella's still not well, she still has a cough at night.

Ola: She threw up in the bed the other day. When I was putting her to bed, I was sitting in my chair as usual and she was falling asleep. It was dark in the room and all I hear is 'gulp, gulp, gulp'. I put the light on and she was lying down throwing up. So I picked her up and she kept being sick, all over the bed, bless her.

James: Then Ella was more worried about the bed. She was saying, 'Dirty, dirty, dirty!'

Ola: James took her to the bath because she was covered in sick and I changed her bed. Then when she came back to her room to get dressed in her new pyjamas, she was going, 'Oh mummy, mummy, it's clean!' She was so excited to see this clean bed, bless her.

I took her to the doctors and told them that her cough is really bad at night. They listened to her chest, which they said was fine.

The cough is awful at night though – when she wakes at 1am to come our room, she will lie next to us and cough for about 45 minutes before she falls asleep. And then we're awake watching her. It's almost like something happens through the night with her chest and when she wakes up, she's trying to clear it.

We also took Ella to a specialist appointment about her heart murmur. She confirmed he could hear a murmur and now we're waiting for a scan appointment for her.

jubilee food

Ella eyeing up the cupcakes!

Family Jubilee fun

James: We went round to my mum's for the Platinum Jubilee celebrations on Sunday and there was a street party – Ella loved it! It was so nice to see her playing with my niece who’s nine.

Ella was on her scooter up and down the road. She loved the freedom; she loves being outside. She went off with the other children to play in a neighbour's garden and she wasn’t bothered at being separated from us. She's definitely getting better.

And I was the designated driver for the event...

Ola: He's not a drinker – I like a drink and he doesn't. He drinks when he goes out with his mates though, but at a street party with his mum, he's not going to drink!

MORE: Best personalised baby books for dad - the ultimate thoughtful Father's Day gift

ella carriage

Queen Ella gives us a wave

Ola and Ella's girls' time

Ola: Ella's going to have an early night tonight and I'm going to have a nice evening later. That's my plan anyway, I’m just going to chill out and watch some TV like the Kardashians or Love Island.

ella mum

It was girls' time for the Jordan ladies

We're going to have some quality mummy-daughter time while James is away!

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