ola jordan

Exclusive: Ola and James Jordan's embarrassing date night with baby Ella

Catch up on the Strictly stars' latest column

Parenting Editor
August 6, 2021

Oh dear, we really feel for James and Ola Jordan, who were forced to abandon their romantic date night out this week.

The former Strictly dancers had booked a meal out at a nice restaurant and decided to take their 17-month-old daughter Ella along with them – but the evening didn't quite go to plan. More on that in their column below!

Also this week, the couple share an adorable video of sweet Ella getting her first-ever passport photo, as the family plan an exciting family reunion abroad.

Catch up on the Jordans' latest antics here…

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

WATCH: Ella gets her passport photo done

Date night disaster

We've all been there. You take your little cherub along on a posh night out, only for things to take a turn for the worse – you never know what's going to happen with kids, do you?

Ola tells us: "We went out with some friends on Saturday night and took Ella with us. We booked a table at a quite posh restaurant about 6.30pm.

"I was really worried about it. All day I was thinking, oh my god I'm worried she's just going to scream the place down.

"She was fine to start with - she was sitting in her buggy and had a bottle. But then she became so unsettled and didn't want to sleep, so James decided to cuddle her and she was sick all over him!"

Oh no! Poor Ella – and in a fancy restaurant too.

MORE: Ola Jordan shares adorable photo with lookalike baby Ella

Mum Ola and baby Ella

James says: "Yep, all over me. I was all dressed up – full-on projectile vomit. I was covered from head to toe in sick. Honestly, it was pouring off of me onto the floor, there was that much.

"I was making sure she was OK and I passed her to Ola so I could clear myself up, but then she threw up over Ola as well. So we had to leave the restaurant and go home."

Ola recalls: "I just remember this walk of shame. I was covered. I was wearing black trousers but I had white sick all over me from the milk. Everyone was looking at me – it was quite a long walk through the doors. I'm never doing that again, am I!"

Poor James and Ola, it's not exactly the romantic evening they had planned. And little Ella, was she OK?

Ola explains: "Yes, I think she was a bit distressed and not very happy there, to be honest. She's not used to that sort of thing – she's used to being quiet at home."

MORE: 9 of the best-rated baby monitors to give both parents and babies a peaceful night's sleep

Ella's sleeping through!

We're truly thrilled for James and Ola, as the pair tell us that Ella is finally sleeping through the night after months of night-time wakings.

"Today she woke up at 8am and she went down about 8pm yesterday, so 8 till 8, I'm happy," reveals a jubilant Ola.

"I love that. It's not every night – some nights she still wakes up for a bottle but not too much. I can't complain, it's great."

Ella posing for her photo

Ella first passport

Getting your child's first passport is an exciting time and the Jordans took Ella to have her photos done this week. So how did it go?

Ola says: "I thought she would be much worse than she was, but she was ok. Ella sat down, tried to smile and then I got told off because the woman said: 'No, no, she can't smile'. She said babies aren't allowed to smile. They can have their mouth open, which she did. She only took two pictures and went, 'Yeah, I got it'."

James adds: "The nicest part was when Ella took the pictures afterwards – she loved them."

Ella loved her passport pictures

A family reunion

If all goes to plan, a family reunion in Poland is on the cards, as Ola's parents haven't seen baby Ella in a long time due to the pandemic.

Ola tells us: "I'm thinking of going to Poland to see my mum and dad. We have to just take a leap and go."

James says: "We are panickers, aren't we? We panic about everything but it's got to the stage now where Ella needs to see her grandma and grandad, and they need to see her as well.

"Also, heaven forbid, something happened to one of them, we'd never forgive ourselves. I know Ola would find that really difficult. Luckily we got to see my dad before he passed away, but if something were to happen, it would be not good for both of us."

The family will likely travel in September when it's quieter after the school holidays and James would love to surprise them!

The Jordans by their swimming pool at home

"I think we should literally just get on the plane and turn up at their door. It would be amazing," he says.

"I did that to Ola once for her birthday when she was on Strictly one year and was in the final. I flew her parents over for her birthday. Ola didn't know and they just turned up and knocked on the door, it was so cool."

Ola remembers: "James' mum and dad picked them up from the airport. My mum, dad and sister turned up on my doorstep. I cried! It was amazing. I hadn't seen them for ages and I didn't expect them to come."

Has Ella ever been on a plane, we ask.

"Nope," says James. "And I don't fly well, so I'm going to have to hide that from her. I hate flying, I'm a right baby when it comes to flying - but I think Ella is going to love it.

"The other day we took her in an elevator for the first time and she was fascinated by it.

"It was quite funny because the lift was empty and the doors closed, then all of a sudden the doors open and there were people in it. She went 'Wow!' She couldn't work out how these people just arrived in the lift. Then when we went in it and she arrived at a different level, she was like, 'Wow!!'

Ola adds: "To be honest, she says 'Wow' for everything at the moment. It's so cute."

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