In an interview with Loose Woman, Ola and James Jordan - both former Strictly Come Dancing stars, candidly revealed their struggles with weight gain since leaving the BBC show.
According to Express, Strictly Come Dancing alums Ola and James Jordan appeared on Loose Woman on its Monday edition to share their struggles with maintaining body weights after leaving the BBC dance competition back in 2013 and 2015. The couple admitted that the weight gain issues following years of dancing on Strictly became out of control since they gave birth to their first child Ella back in 2020.
Ola and James have been putting on weight since leaving Strictly
As host Kaye Adams touched upon a recent Instagram post in which Ola shared a surprise bikini photo of her and James posing by the pool, the couple began to talk about how leaving Strictly changed their lives.
In the snap shared on Ola's Instagram last week, she and James were all smiles posing by the pool in their swim costumes. In the caption, the Strictly alum mentioned how she was 'disappointed with herself' and shocked at the 'mum and dad bud' she and James have developed since leaving the hit show. Ola wrote:
'We know we're not in our best Strictly shape but hey that's what happens when you stop dancing for hours every day and have a baby (I just want to know James’ excuse). Stay cool everyone. I think I need to avoid the ice cream for a while! Couples That Eat Together Stay Together.'
Despite Ola's apparent disappointment with her current figure, she received a lot of positive comments from fans. One wrote: 'Omg stop don’t say horrified you guys are gorgeous!! And well done for sharing this beautiful photo of normal bodies thank you.'
Back to their appearance on Loose Woman, host Kaye Adams raised the question to Ola regarding her bikini snap. She asked: 'I’m not going to be disingenuous. I did see the Insta post you put up, Ola, of the picture of you. Do you feel you’ve let yourself go?'
Admitting that they're no longer in the ideal, athletic shapes like in Strictly years ago, Ola responded:
'It’s really hard because I think it’s just accepting what you are now. Obviously, I had an amazing body when I was on Strictly. Everyone used to look up to me. Soo, coming to the realization that it’s not the same and it’s not going to be the same anymore, it’s really hard.'
James added that the couple has no time for intensive training after the arrival of their daughter Elle, and therefore it's natural they've gained some pounds. He said:
'We’re not training ten hours a day like we used to. It’s not rocket science, is it? It’s what you eat and if you’re not exercising you’re going to put on weight.'
When asked whether the weight gain was a problem to him, Ola admitted that people said they 'look great' but they are not happy about their current shapes. She said: 'People say you look great, but I don't feel like that. I don’t feel like I'm in my body. It’s weird.'
Their attitude towards weight gains has also changed
Despite feeling dissatisfied with their current shapes, both Ola and James, now parents to two-year-old daughter Elle, admitted that staying in shape and maintaining a desirable public image is no longer the priority for them. She told the Dailymail:
'When you're younger, you're like 'oh my god I've got to be skinny and I've got to look as good as the other girls. And definitely since having Ella my priorities have changed - she is my number one priority now. So I have better things to think about than a 24-inch waist!'
The Strictly alum, who left the show in its 13th series, added:
'My outlook has totally changed since being a mother. I’m looking after this little person who totally depends on me, so worrying about how I look is not top of my list.'
Despite this, Ola and James agreed that their lack of exercise and unhealthy eating habits need to be addressed to be a 'good example' to their daughter. James added that he and his wives were classified as 'obese', which he feared could engender health issues in the organ. Speaking in their joint column in Hello!, Ola said:
'I don't want to just accept my body like this. I don't want to be overweight and fat. I want to live as long as I possibly can for Ella. I want to show her that I'm healthy and I don't feel like we're doing that right now.''
