In an exclusive new interview in HELLO! magazine, James and Ola Jordan reveal they have named their baby daughter Ella as they share their first photographs as a family. "We didn’t have a name for the first week – she was just Baby, our little munchkin," smiles Ola of their longed-for daughter, who was born on 27 February thanks to IVF after a three-year struggle to become parents.
WATCH: James and Ola give a tour of their nursery
"It’s been amazing and overwhelming at the same time. We’ve wanted this for so long. We had a lovely life, but this is making us feel so much happier than anything else we have done. Nothing in our careers measures up to this. It feels perfect," Ola tells HELLO!. "It is all the more special because it’s something we never thought would happen," says James. "Our trophies and accolades fade into the background. This is the best moment of our lives, without a shadow of a doubt. Ola has given me the most precious gift. It’s totally changed the way I see the world."
MORE: Take a look inside James and Ola Jordan's dreamy family home
Ella was born just two weeks before his father was rushed to hospital after collapsing at home with a suspected seizure. "We have seen all that is great about the NHS. They brought my beautiful daughter into the world and then two weeks later they saved my dad’s life. He is my hero. We nearly lost him but he’s home now, although we can’t visit him," says James, referring to the Covid-19 pandemic, which sees them housebound at a time when they, like other families, long to be together. The couple took their own photographs for this exclusive due to the restrictions in place.
The couple took their own photographs for this exclusive due to the COVID-19 restrictions in place
However, James and Ola have been touched by the outpouring of love. "Most importantly, our fans have been amazing. My thoughts are particularly with all the people who contacted us about their IVF journeys after we revealed we were having difficulty starting a family." "Some haven’t had their miracle yet," says James. "Our thoughts are always with them and wishing their dreams come true, too."
READ: James Jordan's sweet act of kindness revealed following father's stroke
The former Strictly stars delighted fans back in September when they announced in HELLO! that they were expecting a baby, with Ola admitting: "I still can't quite believe it." The Polish dancer fell pregnant on the first round of IVF in June 2019, despite doctors only giving them a 50 per cent chance of being successful on their initial attempt. "I don't think it's properly sunk in," she added.
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"The irony is that for 17 years during our career we tried not to have children because dancing is not a career that easily fits in with family life," said James. "When we finally did try, it was a sting to realise we couldn’t conceive straight away. After consultations we’ve realised we are one of the lucky ones and that, with help, hopefully one day we can realise our baby dreams."
This is the first child for the former Strictly stars
James and Ola previously decided to reveal their struggles to start a family because they were constantly getting asked when they will have children. "Ideally you want to tell the story in the past tense with a bouncing baby in your arms," Ola told HELLO!. "But I felt I had to speak now because in every interview we get asked when we are going to have a baby and it gets harder to keep trying to avoid the question and brush it off. It’s got to the point where it’s become upsetting, so we want to tell our story so it’s in the open."
James added: "We know when people ask us about it, that it’s coming from a good place, and we understand people want us to have baby Jordans but each time we get asked about it, it cuts like a knife." Their struggles to conceive would have put any marriage under strain, but Ola said: "We are a very close couple and always have been, but going through this has made us stronger than ever."
To read the full interview, see the latest copy of HELLO!, out on Monday