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Exclusive: James and Ola Jordan thrilled as daughter Ella overcomes her fear

The former Strictly dancers helped their toddler with her phobia

ola jordan
Sophie Hamilton
Parenting Editor
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James and Ola Jordan's daughter Ella is really growing up. This week she experienced her first proper Mother's Day, tried her hand at bowling, received a love letter and overcame a big fear at home.

The professional dancers and former Strictly Come Dancing stars are super proud of their little girl for facing her phobia and trying new hobbies - as you can see in our exclusive look into the Jordans’ week in the video below.

WATCH: Ella's fun week with mum and dad

Catch up on the Jordan family's week here…

Celebrating Mother's Day… and James is in the doghouse

James: We had a really nice Mother's Day. We went to a pub near my sister's house for lunch.

Ola: It was lovely. I had some prosecco and a roast, a nice dessert, and Ella loved the pub as well. She played with her cousins.

James: On the way home she actually said, 'I had a lovely day mummy and daddy', which was so sweet.

ella mum

Ola had a lovely Mother's Day

Ola: In the morning, James and Ella went downstairs and came back with a card and a little present for me. She went, 'Happy Mother's Day mummy!' and told me, 'It says 'I love you' in the card.' She gave me some makeup and perfume. It was really, really cute. It's the first Mother's Day she's really understood.

But do you know what James did on Mother's Day? He went to play golf. He posted a video on Instagram about it! He said he was giving me some space.

James: I was with my friend Dave who has a little kid as well, and we both decided that as perfect husbands, we would leave you alone with your children on your very special day to give you bonding time. We didn't really want to be playing golf, but we did it, for you.

Ola: He just left me with Ella in the morning and went and played golf.

HELLO!: National campaign for Ola to go to the spa on Father's Day.

Ola: Exactly. I'll give him bonding time with Ella.

James: Oh, Father's Day? Sorry, I'm in Vegas!

Ola: He made it up to me when he got back. I didn't mind it actually.

James: I let her have the TV remote that night.

Ola: He's so good to me.

Ella gets a love letter!

Ola: I was going through Ella's bag the other day after she came home from nursery, and there was a little letter in there. I opened it up and it said, 'To Ella, I love you, from Ellis' with a kiss.

I posted a photo of the letter on Instagram saying, 'Oh my god, I found this in Ella's bag and she's three!' Then the mum replied to me. She said, 'Oh this is from my Ellis. He came home and asked to make a card to say 'I love you’ to his new little friend'.

I thought it was so sweet and I'm glad the mum replied to me. I remember getting notes when I was young, but not that young. I used to come home with letters from boys, like on Valentine's Day. I don't think Ella even had a clue what the note was!

ella pose

Ella has an admirer!

James: I'm not happy [laughs]. No, it's sweet isn't it.

Ola: It's lovely seeing the friendships she's making at nursery. Yesterday we both dropped her off there and Ella saw one of her friends and they hugged each other then walked hand in hand into nursery.

James: When I got Ella to nursery today… because daddy seems to take Ella to nursery all the time now because Ola needs longer to get ready.

Ola: Um no. Mummy gets up and does the lunchbox and gets Ella sorted out…

James: Anyway, when I got her there today she didn't want to go and kept coming back for hugs being clingy. Then all of a sudden one of the kids put her head round the door and went, 'Hi Ella!', then she was ok.

Ella's hairdryer fear

James: Ella now lets us use the hairdryer on her hair.

Ola: It's a big milestone for us because she was always very scared of hairdryers. Even in public toilets with hand dryers – she's very scared of them.

James: I've slowly been getting her used to the hairdryer at home. I make it a game by blowing the dryer on her when she walks past. I don't want her to be scared of it, I want her to understand it.

Ola: So daddy was drying Ella's hair and she wants to do it all the time now. We were just letting it dry naturally before and James dried her hair with the towel, then I had the battle of brushing her hair afterwards. We're very happy she now likes the hairdryer.

Ella goes bowling for the first time

Ola: James decided that we were all going bowling. I was like, 'Ella's a bit little for bowling James, let's not'. He said, 'No, let's go, let's go.' Well, she actually loved it.

James: So who was right?

Ola: James was right [this is a column first]. She loved it and at the end she said, 'Daddy mummy, I love bowling!'

bowling

Ella aced bowling!

James: Yesterday she made me laugh. She said: 'Daddy, you win golf and I win bowling.' I came home from playing golf and said, 'Daddy won today' and she goes, 'Yeah but Ella won bowling'.

Ola: We had to help Ella with the ball at bowling because it was too heavy for her and we didn't want her to drop it on her feet and hurt herself. She had a great time pushing the ball down the alley though.

James: She didn't get a strike – she got a half strike – but she came second! She beat mummy. Obviously daddy came first. Ella beat my mates Dave and Sammy too.

ball alley

Mum and dad help Ella with her bowling ball

Ella's an acting pro

Ola: I did an promotion with Fenjal last week and Ella was part of it. I couldn't believe how good she was in front of the camera.

James: If you ask her to do something she'll do it. She actually acts. Maybe it's because she's used to being filmed for this column. It's probably the only time she listens to us! When she knows the camera is on, she performs.

HELLO!: How would you feel about Ella going into showbiz when she's older?

James: I'd like her to have a talent. I wouldn't want her to be in showbiz just as a celebrity without a skill or talent. I'd like her to have a skillset, whether that's acting or singing or dancing, or presenting – whatever it is, I want her to pursue something.

I'd probably prefer her not to be in showbiz because I think it can be quite a cut throat business. You're flavour of the month one minute and the next you're not and there's not much loyalty.

Ola: It can be a very tough industry, so we'd hope she did something else. If she wants to be a performer, then we'll see.

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