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Exclusive: Strictly star James Jordan faces his biggest fear for daughter Ella

The professional dancer couple had a week in the sun

Sophie Hamilton
Parenting Editor
May 27, 2022
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Have you ever pretended that you like something so your child isn't scared? That's been James Jordan's experience on holiday in Turkey this week with his two-year-old daughter Ella.

MORE: James and Ola Jordan's daughter Ella takes after dancer parents in new video from Turkey holiday

The former Strictly star, who is married to fellow dance pro, Ola Jordan, told HELLO! all about coping with his vertigo to brave the high waterslides with his daughter – and how he deals with his fear of travelling on a plane too. James told us: "I really hate it but I try not to show Ella. I have these mini panic attacks, and when we hit turbulence, I'm terrible."

WATCH: The Jordan family on holiday!

The Jordans spent the week at the Rixos Premium Tekirova in Turkey, speaking to us from the hotel kids' club when we catch up with them for their HELLO! Parenting column.

"This is the place where all the parents leave their kids for up to two hours," says Ola, "But we're not brave enough to do that so we're sitting here and watching her play. We understand why people leave them, but let's face it, it's Ella's holiday, not our holiday…she's bossing us around!" Guys, we totally relate.

MORE: James and Ola Jordan's emotional farewell with grandparents and toddler Ella – watch video

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Ella enjoying an ice cream on holiday

Read Ola and James' latest column below…

James faces his fear

James: We're having a lovely time here; there's so much to do for children. The kids' stuff is on another level – the waterslides and the parks, it's really cool.

HELLO!: Have you both been going down the waterslides with Ella?

James: Um, I have to force Ola…

Ola: Mummy went, but I think that's daddy's job. Daddy goes on all the slides.

HELLO!: Is mummy on the sunlounger with a cocktail?

Ola: Yes, exactly.

MORE: Inside Ola and James Jordan's Turkey holiday with daughter Ella

family photo

The Jordans chilling out on their Turkey break

James: Ella's loving the slides. I made her go on because she kept saying, 'No, no, no' and since then she loves it. She was like, 'Again, again, I want to go more!' I'm going to come back with a super-butt because I've been up and down those stairs about a thousand times.

And I suffer from vertigo as well because I'm scared of heights, so every time I go up there, inside I'm panicking – I don't let Ella see that, but I hate heights. I love waterslides, but it's getting up to them that I find the problem. I have a fear of flying as well.

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Ola, James and Ella on the plane!

HELLO!: Looking after kids on a plane can be a good distraction from that…

Ola: But he doesn't look after her on the plane! On the flight over, James was sitting on the other side of the aisle with some guy talking golf the whole time, while I was handling Ella, which was quite difficult actually. We'll swap on the way back! Just knowing my luck, she'll be perfect for him.

James: She will be because she'll be with daddy, haha!

Ella's holiday romance

James: Ella is getting much more independent, which is nice. Like with people we've met on holiday, they'll take her hand and go off dancing with her, so she's happier to go away from mummy and daddy now which is a good thing.

She's also got a little boyfriend here called Freddie. He's four and the family live quite close to us in the UK as well.

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Ella and her holiday boyfriend Freddie

Ola: She likes the older boys, I must say.

HELLO!: So this romance may continue back home…

James: I don't know. I'm going to put a stop to it! Until she's 35 years old or I'm dead, then she can have a boyfriend!

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Ella pictured with her holiday friends

Ella's big meltdown

As we chat, Ella goes a bit rockstar in a hotel room on us in the kids' club…

James: Oh, it's all kicking off here. Ella just tipped a toy car upside down. Oh dear. I need to teach her to be a bit tougher when someone takes her stuff. She's having a meltdown, she's not happy. Now she's pushing the slide over!

I think she's trying to smash the place up because a boy took the toy she was playing with. He's only little. He's probably about 18 months old.

HELLO!: It's the old terrible twos…

James: Yeah, it is, honestly. At times she is the sweetest child ever and other times, I turn to Ola and go, 'How can a two-year-old annoy me so much?!'

Ella soon calms down and it's time to leave the club.

plane fun

Ella and daddy having fun with his phone

Returning to nursery after holiday

James: I'm not sure how Ella will be going back to nursery after a week off. She does seem more independent now so I think she'll be alright.

Ola: Yeah, I agree. Ella's got her first sports day at nursery on Friday and she's in the blue team. We're looking forward to it. We'll take her in the morning and stay there with her to watch. Then she's got a week off as it's the school holidays.

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Super stylish Ella arrives back in the UK

HELLO!: Any nice plans for half term week?

Ola: Next week daddy's probably playing golf. If the weather is nice we'll get the cover off the pool and have a swim. English weather is so rubbish, we only used it about three days last year!

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