James and Ola Jordan announce trial separation
Strictly Come Dancing stars James and Ola Jordan have announced they are separating on a trial basis after 22 years of marriage.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
James and Ola Jordan, the former Strictly Come Dancing professionals, have announced they are separating on a trial basis after 22 years of marriage. The couple, who met while dancing together and became one of the show's most enduring partnerships, confirmed the news through a statement issued by their manager. The statement said: "It is with great sadness I can confirm that they have begun a trial separation."
The couple, both in their 40s, have a six-year-old daughter. James is 48 and Ola is 43. They married in 2003 and have been widely seen as one of the most stable couples to come out of the Strictly world. The announcement has prompted speculation about the so-called "Strictly curse", given the intense physical closeness and emotional intensity of professional dance partnerships. However, no specific reason for the separation has been given.
The news was first reported by The Sun newspaper, and the couple's manager confirmed the story. The phrase "trial separation" has been interpreted by some as a softer alternative to a permanent split, but many commentators have noted that such arrangements rarely lead to reconciliation. The couple's young daughter is said to be at the centre of their thoughts, with friends suggesting the separation is amicable and that both parents remain committed to co-parenting.
James and Ola Jordan rose to fame on Strictly Come Dancing, where they were both professional dancers. They later appeared in various television shows and have built a public profile as a couple. Their announcement has drawn an outpouring of sympathy from fans, many of whom have followed their relationship for decades. The couple have not yet commented publicly beyond the statement from their manager.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | GB News |
|---|---|
| James and Ola Jordan have begun a trial separation after 22 years of marriage. | |
| The couple have a six-year-old child. | |
| The statement came from their manager. |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
GB News covered the story as a light-hearted panel discussion, mixing sympathy with speculation about whether trial separations ever work. The tone was informal and at times jokey, with the panel focusing on the couple's appearance, the impact on their young child, and the likelihood of reconciliation. The channel also drew parallels with other celebrity splits, such as Gwyneth Paltrow's 'conscious uncoupling'.
- “I think this is really, really sad. I think Ola and Ola, as they say, and James are a really great couple, and I think it's very sad it's got to this stage.”
- “I think it's quite sudden. They've got a six-year-old child, which I think is, you know, is always a bit of a shame when you're a child that young.”
- “I think it's peak that this six-year-old in, you know, ten years or whenever looking back at the newspapers, they'll be looking at the front page of The Sun, where that child has got to see that their parents had a, quote, trial separation.”
Broadcast Timeline
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