ola jordan

Exclusive: Strictly's Ola and James Jordan on expanding family: 'Ella loves babies'

James and Ola Jordan discuss their past week in their HELLO! column

Parenting Editor
February 17, 2023

Little Ella Jordan has certainly kept her parents, former Strictly dancers Ola and James, busy this week with her energetic toddler behaviour.

The two-year-old nearly gave her famous dad a heart attack when she zoomed off on her scooter near a road (James, we've all been there) and the couple faced disapproving looks as Ella ran around a restaurant. Sweet Ella also had a haircut and played with her hairdresser's baby boy.

You can see adorable footage of Ella's haircut in our exclusive video below, and mum Ola gets some baby cuddles too!

Catch up on the Jordan family's week in their HELLO! parenting column here…

Ella gets a haircut and plays with a baby!

Ola: We've tried to get Ella's haircut before at the hairdressers and she hasn't liked it all, so we had our friend Sammy come round to the house this time. I don't know what happened, but Ella was amazing! I think she was freaked out by all the people at the hairdressers before, so I just told her, 'Sammy's going to come and cut your hair' and she was fine with it.

James: We thought we would have nightmares but she was the perfect child.

Ola: Sammy brought her baby boy Harley with her too, who's about five months old, and Ella loves babies.

James: When we're out and someone pulls up next to us with a pram, Ella always peers into it to see the baby. Some parents look at her like, 'That's weird'. She just loves babies.

Ola with daughter Ella

HELLO!: And Ola, in the video, you got some cuddles with baby Harley too…

Ola: It was so nice holding him. I think you forget how tiny they are. It's hard to think about going back to that stage again.

James: You see, although Ella can be a handful right now, I prefer this stage where they're more interesting and can chat to you. She can get dressed now and go to the toilet by herself.

Ola: Ella goes off to her playroom and plays by herself now. It's a nice age. Going back to that baby stage will be hard if we have another child. I think Ella will be great with a sibling if it happens though.

James: I think it would be a wake-up call for her as well though – she wouldn't get all our attention, which would be good for her.

MORE: Strictly's Ola Jordan cradles neat baby bump in sweet throwback photo

Ella's naughty moment

James: Ella was a little bit naughty yesterday when she was on her scooter. She's really good on the scooter and really fast, but then every now and again she just zooms off on it. One of the neighbours stopped me for a chat, and at that moment, Ella bolted on her scooter on the pavement. I shouted, 'Stop!' but she just continued scooting. I wondered if it was her hearing problem... but I don't think it was because she was laughing!

Ola: It's really scary because now I don't want to take her on the scooter as I won't catch her. I'm so scared she'll go away from me.

Ella is super speedy on her scooter

James: So daddy felt like Usain Bolt running after her doing the 100m sprint. I nearly pulled a muscle trying to catch her before she got to the end of the road.

Ola: Daddy was not happy. I had just come back from the shops and was unloading bags from the car…

James: I had her scooter in one hand and I was holding Ella by her jacket in the other hand! I was so cross. She has to understand how dangerous it is. She has to understand she can't do that. It only takes one second for something bad to happen.

She needs to be scared and respect the road – even if it's not a busy road. I think the quiet roads can be more dangerous as she thinks it's fine.

I've got my own scooter so I could scoot with her, but the problem is, if I go out on the scooter with her, it's harder for me to grab her if I need to stop her so I just run after her instead. I'm running around like a headless chicken following her! I'm always telling her to slow down but she just doesn't listen. It drives me mad.

The joy of taking a toddler to a restaurant…

James: We went for lunch in a really nice pub last weekend and took Ella, but she's got so much energy, it's so difficult to keep her entertained.

She didn't want to just sit there at the table so we had a choice: do we keep her where she is and have a screaming tantrum or let her run around a bit? So selfishly, we went for the 'let her run around a bit' - but she's becoming quite naughty.

Ola: You know when you sit there and you've got a couple looking at you as if to say, 'You shouldn't be letting your child run around' (and I'd be the same if I didn't have Ella) but sometimes you just want to sit down and have a nice glass of wine in a restaurant with your friends. It's picking and choosing the battles, isn't it?

Doting dad James with Ella

James: Ola said my dad would have been looking down on us so angry because he was very old school, very Sergeant Major – we would never have dared to get out of our chairs when we were little, and I wish I could be more like that.

But I do believe that every child is different, and I'm not saying that I was the perfect child but Ella is quite stubborn. It has to be her way! So me and her butt heads a lot.

Ola: She's very good with a lot of things, like when she finishes her food she goes and washes her hands. You'd think Ella takes after James with her stubbornness, but my parents say she's a little Ola! I'm not stubborn now but I was a child.

James and Ola's Valentine's evening

HELLO!: How was your Valentine's? You posted a very sexy photo of yourselves on Instagram with Ola wearing red lingerie...

James: It's funny isn't it because you post all these photos in bikinis and swimwear and no one says anything – you put underwear on and everyone goes mad!

Ola: One woman said it was bordering on porn! It was nothing like that.

James: She said it was tacky. It made me laugh.

James: So our Valentine's evening went like this… We put Ella to bed, watched a movie together then went to bed at 10.30, rolled over and went to sleep. That's what happens after being together for 23 years. It's just another day isn't it, another day at the office! So we put all the sexy underwear on Instagram but sat here in our PJs and went straight to sleep.

Ola: We've always thought Valentine's Day is a bit overrated. James did treat me once – he took me to Dubai for Valentine's after I injured myself doing The Jump TV show.

James: It's not about 'what it is' – it's the thought that counts – and I get her a card every year.

Ola: Um, we were in Bluewater the day before and I said, 'You better have a card' and he said, 'Oh shall we do another circuit round the shops because I need to get you a card'.

James: Yes, but I gave her the card first thing in the morning when she came downstairs, it was all waiting for her. Then about two hours later, I asked where my card was and she said she couldn't find it.

Ola: I bought it really early on then couldn't remember where I put it [group laugh].

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