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James and Ola Jordan talk Dancing on Ice: we have a clear winner and why it was right that Myleene left

Hear the couple's thoughts on the ITV show in their latest HELLO! column

TV & Film Editor
January 25, 2021

James and Ola Jordanhad to watch Dancing on Ice on catch-up on Sunday, all thanks to their young daughter, Ella! "She had a bit of a meltdown so there was no way we were watching it until she was asleep in bed," Ola joked. "So we didn't watch it until gone ten." It sounds like the show was certainly worth the wait for the pair, who were full of praise for episode two. Get their thoughts here... 

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"I think the standard is amazing this year," James said enthusiastically. "Really, really, really good skaters this year. Colin Jackson came out first and thought, 'Oh my God, he's amazing,' but then everyone else who came out was just as good, if not better!" 

WATCH: Ola and James Jordan's baby Ella shows off her dance moves

"I thought the whole thing was great," he continued. "Myleene Klass was the first out, bless her, but I think had she been in any other year there is no way she would have gone this early, it's because everyone was so good this year!" 

Ola agreed, adding: "She was really good you know! I was saying, 'Oh my God, I would love to do what Myleene did!'" 

James, who won the series in 2019, said: "She was the worst in the group that week so ended up in the skate-off, and she was the worst against Lady Leshurr, so the right person went but it's not taking away from what she did because some of her moves were great. 

Myleene was the first person to leave the show

"She's clearly never skated before, as I hadn't, and you do get to a certain age where everything becomes more difficult to learn, with the fear and everything, but I think she did amazingly. She was just in a year when everyone was so flipping good." 

"You don't want to be first out," Ola added. "And I did feel for her but someone has to go and Lady Leshurr was really good so it was hard for Myleene to win that one."

Myleene was Lady Leshurr were in the dance off 

So which stars impressed the former Strictly pros? James explained: "Graham Bell is a professional skier so I'm sure he's ice skated before, he has an understanding of how ice skating works and he was terrific, I liked him. The performance element wasn't necessarily there though but Faye Brooks, I think she's going to be one of the best skaters and performers to ever be on the show. She was amazing, ridiculously good!" 

James and Ola think Faye is a clear winner

Ola added: "Yes, she was by far the frontrunner. Unbelievable! The routine that Hamish did, and the skating. The way she used her arms and everything, she was ridiculously good. I loved her." 

The pair were also full of praise for Colin Jackson, who they previously toured with on Strictly.

"He is such a lovely guy," Ola said. "We had so much fun touring with him." 

The couple were full of praise for Colin Jackson

James agreed: "He's one of the nicest people I've ever met in the business. I would love him to do well! He is a lovely, lovely man." 

The couple also chatted about Sonny Jay being sent through to the next round with the golden ticket pass, as James said: "The golden ticket clearly isn't for the best person. Maybe they're trying to save someone that should stay and they wouldn't want to leave? But they knew whatever happened, there was no way Faye was going home. They gave it to Sonny, again, I thought he was good! Everyone's so good!" 

Sonny received the golden ticket 

Ola added: "I think next week is going to be really interesting bringing them all together. This year will be the highest standard they've ever had on Dancing on Ice."

James also predicted that a woman will be winning the competition this year, explaining: "Last year it was Joe Swash, the year before it was me, the year before that was Jake Quickenden, the year before that was Ray Quinn! But this year you have a lot of strong women in the competition and Faye, for me, is definitely the frontrunner." 

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However, the pair think that there is one other contestant who might catch up with her, as James explained: "The only one who might be able to stay with her on skating might be Joe-Warren. But apart from that, she's a winner." 

The pair also praised the judges' scoring on Sunday's episode, but pointed out one part of the leaderboard that they didn't agree with. 

"Billie did a great job but I felt that she was overmarked," James said. "She was marked the same as Colin Jackson and - never in a million years! Colin was skating on his own while she didn't let go of her partner but apart from that, the leaderboard is right. Billie should have been beneath Colin but apart from that I think the scoring was right for this year." 

The pair felt Billie was a little overmarked

James knows, from experience, how hard it can be to get to the good standard on the ice. He revealed that he has only been ice skating once since doing the show, and admitted that he would need a lot of training again to get to a good standard. 

"I'd have to train again, one hundred per cent. It's that difficult. Unless you've done it as a kid, or you have the natural ability. Mine wasn't a natural ability, it was hard work. Watching the show with Ola yesterday, I was saying, 'You can tell that some of them have done it when they were younger,' because they're just at ease on the ice. I never really felt truly comfortable on the ice, I was always scared!" 

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