Strictly's James Cracknell has confirmed his relationship with girlfriend Jordan Connell during a romantic stroll in sunny Battersea Park on Saturday, and the Olympic rower looked absolutely smitten. The pair held hands as they walked through the London park, and even stopped on a bench for a kiss. Adorable! Jordan Connell, who is in her 30s, was decked out in a beautiful pastel-yellow wrap dress that was peppered with flowers, and on her feet she wore a casual black pair of dolly shoes. James opted for dark blue jeans paired with a crisp white t-shirt, and he looked every inch the fashionista.
James and Jordan met when he studied his Masters at Cambridge University, beginning in 2018. Jordan was a finance student at the prestigious university and according to The Daily Mail is also part of a cheerleading team in her native New York, she'll be great on the Strictly sidelines!
James shared a behind the scenes snap of the Strictly rehearsals with his fans
META: Strictly's James Cracknell suffers a bike crash just weeks before the new season starts
The Olympic gold medallist has been busy practicing his moves ahead of the launch of Strictly's new season in September, but the father-of-three's dance journey almost came to an abrupt end earlier in August, when James fell off his bike on the way to rehearsals. Luckily the world-class rower was left with nothing more than "a bit of road rash and [a] damaged ego", but things could have been much worse.
James and Beverley split earlier this year after 17 years of marriage
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In July, James split from his wife of 17 years, Beverley Turner. He was just eight months into his Cambridge University stint. Beverley nursed James back to health after his near-fatal accident in 2010. The sports star had been filming a TV show in which he cycled all the way across America when he was hit by a truck traveling at an astonishing 70mph. James suffered a devastating brain injury as a result, and it's amazing to see how far he's come since. We'll definitely be rooting for him on Strictly!
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