James Jordan broke his silence about his split from wife Ola after 22 years of marriage, stating they had endured a “tough few years.”
The dancers, who featured on BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing from 2006 to 2013 and 2015 respectively, announced last week they had gone their separate ways.
The pair met at a dance competition in 1999 before getting married in 2003, and share a six-year-old daughter, Ella.
Mr Jordan spoke publicly for the first time about the breakup on Wednesday, reflecting on the difficult period.
James Jordan spoke about his marriage split on Wednesday
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ITV
“Yeah, I’m okay. It’s been a tough few years and obviously myself and Ola, I moved out a few months ago and it has been really tough,” he admitted.
The 48-year-old continued: “I find it hard to talk about, and I’m not going to speak about it too much because I don’t think it’s fair on her, the fact that she is not here as well to speak about it.”
Opening up about the situation on ITV’s This Morning, he went on to add that he has people checking up on him, concluding: “Otherwise I’m now sitting in a one-bedroom apartment on my own at night watching TV, going, ‘What is going on?’
“But I just feel I need that time to find myself again.”
During his time on the popular dance show, Mr Jordan was partnered with famous faces such as Vanessa Feltz, Denise Van Outen and Pamela Stephenson.
Polish choreographer Ms Jordan has danced in the competition alongside the likes of Sid Owen, Robbie Savage, DJ Spoony and Steve Backshall.
The 43-year-old went all the way and lifted the Glitterball Trophy alongside Chris Hollins after they won the show in 2009.
Sharing their unfortunate news with fans on social media, the two issued a joint statement on Saturday, August 8.
“After 26 years together, this is something we never imagined we would be sharing,” they wrote in an Instagram post.
“Following recent reports in the press about our relationship and after receiving messages asking if everything is okay, we feel it’s important to speak directly rather than let speculation or hearsay tell our story.
“We have always tried to be open and honest with the people who have supported us over the years, and we feel it’s only right that this update comes from us.
“At the moment, we’re taking some time apart as we work through very difficult personal challenges.
“(James) moved out of the family home some time ago. This has been an incredibly painful and emotional journey for us both and it certainly wasn’t an easy decision.
“Our absolute priority, now and always, is our beautiful daughter Ella. She’s at the centre of everything we do. We are committed to co-parenting her with all the love, care and stability she deserves.
“Speaking personally (James), my mental health hasn’t been in a good place for quite some time. I’ve been struggling more than I’ve let people see, and I’m taking the time I need to focus on getting myself into a healthier place, both for myself and for Ella.
“Neither of us is in a good place right now. We’re both doing our best to navigate one of the hardest chapters of our lives and we ask that people remember there are real people and real emotions behind every headline, every comment and every post.”
They concluded: “We don’t know exactly what the future holds. For now, we’re taking things one day at a time, doing what we both believe is best for ourselves, our family and most importantly….. Ella,” before thanking fans for the kindness they have been shown.