James Jordan

Thursday 2nd October 2008

Professional dancer, James Jordan talks to us about Strictly Come Dancing and he teaches our competition winner latin dancing.

On dancing
My favourite dance would have to be the Cha Cha. I love its sexiness and the freedom you get to move and express yourself.

Ballroom is much more restricted. The man looks one way, the woman the other. Where's the interest? It's boring, if you ask me. Sorry, Anton!

I've always preferred Latin American, although I was actually probably originally better at Ballroom. But when I was in my teens I had to choose which style to specialise in and, at that age, there was no competition – the girls wear less in Latin!

On his dance partners
Gabby Logan was a dream to dance with. She was committed to achieving a perfect performance and would work hard to pick up complicated routines. If I could dance with anyone, it would be Jessica Alba. What eye candy!

My wife, Ola, also appears on Strictly. We were introduced by an ex-girlfriend when I was looking for a new dance partner, and hit it off instantly.

On Strictly Come Dancing
At first, I refused to wear sequinned outfits, but by the second series of Strictly, I thought I'd give them a go. I've had a number of embarrassing costume mishaps in the past – like splitting my pants during a competition because they were too tight.

On learning to dance
I was about ten when I started dancing. My sister was having lessons at a local school in Kent and I initially went along for a laugh.

I'd never say I was a natural-born dancer. I've had to work hard to get to where I am today, and put in long hours of extra practice. But it's made me a good teacher and I understand how hard it is for people when they struggle with new moves.

Discover what happened during our competition winner's latin dance lesson with James Jordan

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