Strictly couple Ola and James Jordan split after 22 years of marriage with statement issued
Strictly Come Dancing couple Ola and James Jordan are the latest to fall victim to the infamous Strictly curse after confirming they had split in an emotional statement.
The pair first met at a Blackpool dancing competition back in 1999 and worked as dance partners until their relationship became romantic, as they began dating before tying the knot in 2003.
They are familiar faces to any fans of the long-running BBC dance show as they both danced alongside celebrity partners from the show's very beginning in 2004, with James leaving Strictly Come Dancing in 2013 and Ola in 2015.
However, after 22 years of marriage, the couple clearly hit a roadblock in recent months and went through a period of 'trial separation', before officially calling it quits recently.
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James and Ola's representative said in a statement: "It is with great sadness that I can confirm that James and Ola began a trial separation some time ago.
"Their shared priority remains co-parenting their daughter, Ella, and they are committed to putting her wellbeing first.
"They would greatly appreciate your understanding as they navigate this difficult time."
Despite that 'trial separation' period, it seems as if the news has still come as a 'huge shock' to many of their family and friends, considering how long they have been together.
They told The Sun: "It’s been a huge shock to their friends and family because they always seemed like such a solid couple.
"But they know in the long run it is the right decision. They have been together for almost 30 years and while they love and care for each other, things have changed.
"James hasn’t been in a good place for quite a while now and things came to a head recently. They’ve had some open and honest discussions about their future over the past few months and have now decided that the best option is for them to separate."
The two have enjoyed a very public-facing relationship over the years, which is unsurprising given their popularity on Strictly, and they have also been open about some of their struggles in the past.
Ola said: "It's not all beautiful and sometimes you can look at people's posts on Instagram and Facebook and you think, oh they've got perfect lives, but it's not like that...
"Marriage is not like that, no one's got a perfect marriage. It's a work in progress and I think if two people want to be together, they'll make it happen.
"Sometimes you have dark times and you need your other half's support, and it's not all pretty and perfect that people seem to think."
Although they previously admitted they were able to get their sex lives back on track after working hard to get rid of their 'dad bods', it seems as if that wasn't enough to save their marriage, and the two will now work on co-parenting their six-year-old daughter.
Apart from the split of Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly from the show itself, this is perhaps the highest profile break-up we have seen from a Strictly couple, although Neil and Katya Jones also called it quits after six years of marriage.
Topics: Strictly Come Dancing, Celebrity News, Entertainment, BBC
James Moorhouse