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Ola and James Jordan's daughter Ella tries on mum's Strictly costumes - see video

It's the dream dress-up wardrobe

Sophie Hamilton
Parenting Editor
July 23, 2021
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Strictly fans will remember Ola and James Jordan for their amazing performances on the hit dance show between 2006-2015. Ola appeared on Strictly for 10 series and James eight, wowing viewers with their incredible dance routines.

Now retired from the show, the couple are enjoying every minute of being parents to sweet Ella, aged one.

In their HELLO! column this week, the pro dancers show Ella some of Ola's old Strictly costumes – and the video is seriously cute.

MORE: Ola and James Jordan share video of Ella's bedroom and reveal her love of dancing

WATCH: Ella tries on Ola's Strictly outfits!

Ella gives us a giggle too when we ask what the family are up to today. Ola tells us: "Well, daddy's going to play golf," and then comes the cutest response from their little girl, who says, "Oh no!"

Catch up on the Jordans' news below…

Ola's Strictly costumes!

In the video above, we see Ola and James take their baby girl Ella into their stunning walk-in wardrobe to see mummy's old dance outfits.

James adds: "I was shocked how small they were, it was crazy. That gold outfit was from years ago, before Strictly."

"They are costumes I keep for Ella really, for her to see mummy's costumes," says Ola. "Over the years I've had hundreds of dancing outfits, but there's no point keeping everything. I keep the special ones, I suppose. I'm keeping the catsuits – I'm still hoping I'm going to fit in one!"

MORE: 6 best kids beach shoes & water shoes: From Crocs to M&S & baby Birkenstocks

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Ola and James in their Strictly days

Has Ola tried on any of those beautiful costumes recently?

Ola admits: "No I wouldn't even attempt it!" with James cheekily adding, "She wouldn't even get a leg in!"

And where are all of James' sequinned shirts, we ask… "I was never really a sequinned shirt kinda guy," he says. "I was always black trousers and a black or white top."

Ella's reaction

So what did Ella make of all the sparkly clothes?

Ola tells us: "Ella hadn't seen my Strictly outfits before. It was the first time, and she was like 'Whoaaa! What is this?'

"She just loved it, didn't she? She went straight for the bags!"

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Mum Ola and baby Ella

"She didn't want to take the outfits off. Every time we tried to take a costume off she didn't let us. It was really cute. Her favourite was the fringy blue one. I put it on her and she loved it."

Has Ella seen videos of mummy and daddy dancing on Strictly?

Ola says: "No she hasn't."

"We'll do that next week!" laughs James.

"We'll make a cinema and show her on that," says Ola. "I don't think she'll recognise me! Full of makeup and skimpy costumes and tiny and everything!"

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Sweet Ella Jordan in her bedroom

Strictly gossip

We remember Ola's gorgeous Strictly outfits well – all those skintight catsuits and barely-there dresses.

Die-hard fans will recall that the skimpy outfits were replaced with more modest costumes after a while. So why was that?

Ola explains: "What it comes down to is the company that makes the dresses sells them afterwards - and if they're too skimpy, they can't reuse them. So I think that's why they started to cover everyone up!"

MORE: Top 20 genius baby names revealed – and four are royal

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Ola in one of her stunning dance dresses

"The first year I did the show I think was the first year they did skimpy costumes. I used to wear dresses like that on the dancefloor anyway and I felt good in them, so I wanted something similar on Strictly.

"To me, they were normal but when I went on Strictly everyone was like, 'Woah! She's wearing skimpy costumes'.

"Vicky from DSI, the company who make the costumes, is absolutely amazing. I remember the first catsuit she did for me, James sat down with her and said what we wanted, she put it down on paper and that's how it came about."

Strictly's new dancers

The BBC1 show welcomes four new dancers this year Kai Widdrington, Nikita Kuzmin, Cameron Lombard and Jowita Przystal.

"Jowita is a Polish girl I know," Ola tells us. "She was actually going to be part of our tour that we had to cancel, unfortunately. She's a lovely girl so best of luck to her."

We ask what it was like when new dancers joined Strictly?

Ola reveals: "It was quite exciting I suppose, having new people around."

James jokes: "Yeah, it wasn't for me because they were always younger and hotter! It used to annoy me that I had to stand next to them and look old and fat!"

"That's the honest truth!" says Ola. "In the end that's one of the things… you go, I can't be doing that anymore."

"I'm going to admit it," says James. "I'm bitter about people's ages!" he laughs.

And Ola says what we're all thinking: "This is why we watch Love Island – the dream of our bodies being like that!"

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