james jordan

Exclusive: Strictly's James Jordan emotional as he reunites with daughter Ella

Catch up on HELLO!'s celebrity parenting column here

Parenting Editor
April 29, 2022

Professional dancers and former Strictly stars James and Ola Jordan have had a very different week from each other and told HELLO! all about it in their weekly column below.

MORE: James and Ola Jordan's worries for daughter Ella ahead of nursery start - exclusive

James has been living it up in Spain on a five-day boys' golf trip while Ola looks after their two-year-old daughter Ella back at home with her parents, who are visiting from Poland.

WATCH: Ola and Ella have a girls' day in London then practice their golf!

Most couples will know what happens when one returns from a kid-free break with friends… far from being rested, it's like you need another holiday to recover. Then you walk through the door and your children want ALL the attention.

Below, James tells us how he's fared and how much he missed his daughter. Plus, in our exclusive video, we see Ola and Ella's girls' day out in London where the pair attended a clothing PR event together. Ella is so adorable playing at the craft table with mum.

Catch up on the Jordans' news here…

James breaks his car rule

The Jordans are speaking to HELLO! from their car, but as we chat Ella starts crying...

James: Oh Ella, are you ok?

Ola: Ella, do you want a biscuit?

Ella: Yeah. Ola: Yeah, that will sort it out. Daddy doesn't normally let you eat in his car but here's a biscuit…

James: She's never eaten in my car before. We seem to break all the rules that we make. She was never going to be in our bed and she sleeps in there permanently now! But you know, how much do you let them cry?

Ola: It's a battle isn't it and choosing that battle. It's only now that I understand that; before I didn't.

James: You used to say, 'Why would you let your child eat in your car? Let them wait'. Ella's two years old. You can't have a grown-up conversation with her and that's the problem. It's about trying to be consistent but sometimes you can't be consistent – that's what we're finding.

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Ella loved her trip on the train to London with mum

James recovers from his boys' trip

HELLO!: How was your trip away James?

James: It was good. When we arrived it was quite cold and then it was torrential rain the next day for golf, which is never any fun. The day after was rainy and cold as well, but then Sunday and Monday were lovely. There were 13 of us in total – ten playing golf and three turned up for a bit of a booze. I haven't been out like that since before Ella was born.

Ola: I haven't either. I haven't been out at all.

James: I've lost my voice because there was a lot of shouting, and shouting on the golf course as well. We had a right laugh but I always seem to come back from golf trips ill.

Ola: Because he's old and he can't handle playing golf all day and then drinking till whatever time and then waking up and playing golf again!

James: It's true. Sometimes we were getting the bus at 9.50am – but if you're getting in at 4am, it's not that long to sleep, is it? By the time I woke up, I still felt drunk some days.

Ola: I think he should have a day after the party to recover and then come home because he comes home and he's too tired and his head is sore. I'm talking to him about work stuff and it's, 'Oh no, my head's sore, I can't concentrate.' I'm like, 'For god's sake, you've been away for five days without Ella, enjoying your time and then you come home and say you can't do anything!'

Doting dad James missed Ella while he was away

James: I don't feel well! [laughs]. It always seems like a great idea at the time but I'm not a massive drinker – we don't drink at home ever. I can go months and months without drinking but when I go on that trip, it's like I've been let out, like I've never been out before and I try and keep up with people who are big drinkers because I'm so competitive, and I can't. I've proved that.

I also cut my eye open when I walked into a door. Someone was holding the door open for me in this bar, then someone called me, I turned around as I was walking through the door and the person let the door go. I have cut there now.

Ola: It's a scratch.

James: Yeah so now I've got a cold and I'm very phlegmy…

Ola: Oh my god, honestly!

MORE: Married at First Sight babies! All the couples who have welcomed children since the show

The Jordans are back together again after James' boys' trip

Missing Ella

James: I've never been away before and wanted to be at home at the same time - because I really missed Ella a lot. When I saw her on the camera on FaceTime, you just want to give them a hug. So coming home this time was very different.

I was so excited and it was a shame that when I got in I couldn't go and cuddle Ella straight away. She was next to me obviously – when I got in bed she was already in my bed! Then I'm trying to fall asleep and she starts kicking me in the head. I got in at 2.30am and Ella was up at 7am.

Then I took Ella to her baby class with OIa, which was a mistake – I should have stayed in bed. I don't want any sympathy because it's all self-inflicted.

Ola: You're not going to get any sympathy!!

James: Exactly. I did look forward to coming home though, and the trip did feel longer this time than normal.

Ola: Ella asked for daddy when he was away. She'd say 'Call daddy' in the daytime if I grabbed my phone. She definitely missed him. But saying that, we had a lovely time together. Ella, who's the best now?

Ella: Daddy!

Ola: No! Mummy is.

Ella: No, daddy the best.

Ola: Right, that's it, I'm going away for five days like James.

Ola and Ella's trip to London

Ola: We had such a lovely time. I took her on the train and she loved it. We went to a clothing PR event and they had people looking after kids at a craft table. Ella wanted me to take her there so we sat at the table and she just played; she didn't even notice when I slowly moved away from the table. She really enjoyed herself.

Mum Ola and Ella at their fun clothing event

Ella played nicely and the lady said she was very polite, she said thank you and she waited her turn. It was nice to see her interact with other people.

Ella is very polite. If she's on her bike and we're in her way and we move, she goes, 'Thank you mummy' or 'Sorry mummy'. It's really sweet. That all made me feel a bit calmer for this nursery trip on Friday, so we'll see how that goes.

Ella enjoying the books and crafts at the London event

HELLO!: Who will do the nursery runs out of you both when Ella starts?

Ola: Both I think. Probably me most of the time because James will be on the golf course or something.

James: Or I'll be crying when she goes. I'm a bit more emotional than Ola; she's a bit harder than I am.

Ola: Whatever! Are you joking?!

James: You know that every parent goes through this and they all feel the same, but when you're about to do it yourself, you feel like you're the only person going through it.

Spending time with Ola's parents

Ola: It's lovely to have them around and to see Ella chat and play with them. She speaks more Polish now; she says goodnight to them in Polish and she says 'Come here' in Polish to my mum. She only speaks like that to them and no one else, so she recognises that they speak a different language and she communicates with them. It's lovely.

James: Ola's parents are going to her sister's this weekend so might take Ella somewhere for the bank holiday weekend. We're not organised people; we're very lastminute.com, always have been!

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