James and Ola Jordan’s ‘financial break-up’ began MONTHS before split… they face dividing £2.4m home & fitness fortune

FOR more than two decades James and Ola Jordan built their lives together – from Strictly ballroom stars to parents, fitness entrepreneurs and property investors. But while their marriage still looked rock solid to the outside world, The Sun can reveal the couple were already unravelling one of the biggest parts of their relationship months before the news of their shock split: their business empire. The Sun revealed last week that James and Ola Jordan have split after 22 years of marriage – but their financial ties mean their break-up is far from straightforward Credit: Rex The couple’s £2.4million five-bedroom home has become one of the biggest questions hanging over their separation Credit: Instagram James, 48, and Ola, 43, began separating their financial affairs as far back as January, months before they finally confirmed their 22-year marriage was over. The pair have joint interests spanning property, fitness and their lucrative Dance Shred business, meaning their split is far more complicated than one of them simply moving out of the family home. And while pals insist their priority remains their six-year-old daughter Ella, they now face the tricky task of working out exactly what happens to the businesses and assets they built together. The first major move came in January, when James resigned as a director of their property company, Jopp Ltd. Ola is now listed as sole director and shareholder of the firm, whose registered business activity is described as “other letting and operating of own or leased real estate” – effectively covering the couple’s buy-to-let interests. It means that, on paper at least, one of the biggest pieces of their financial jigsaw has already been separated. But another business could prove far harder to untangle. The Jordans’ hugely successful Dance Shred programme has become a major part of their joint empire since they launched it in 2022, after admitting their weight gain had begun to affect their relationship. The six-week online course offers subscribers a choice between “dance and burn” and “dance and tone” plans, combining dance workouts with nutrition advice. A subscription costs £49 – and the website claims more than 15,000 people have signed up, putting the potential gross subscription revenue at a whopping £735,000. The company associated with the venture, James & Ola Dance Academy Ltd, is also in rude health. Its latest accounts, filed in September, show £460,721 in equity – including £193,555 listed as “cash in the bank”. For a couple who spent years building their public image around being a united team, deciding who controls a thriving fitness brand could be considerably trickier than dividing up a property portfolio. A source close to the couple claims James’ decision to resign as a director was part of wider discussions about what would happen to their business interests if their relationship came to an end. They told The Sun: “They have spent years building these businesses together, so there are a lot of practical things to sort out. January was really when they started making changes behind the scenes. “They knew things were not right between them and they had to start thinking about what would happen if the separation became permanent. It was never just going to be a case of one person moving out and that being the end of it.” But while changes were being made to the structure of some of their businesses, there has been no formal agreement over how their finances or assets will be divided. Those close to the couple say that is not currently their focus as they navigate the separation and prioritise co-parenting Ella. But their biggest financial headache could be the home they once shared. James and Ola bought their five-bedroom pad in November 2022 for £2.4million, after downsizing from their previous £2.5million Kent mansion. The luxury house boasts an outdoor swimming pool, cinema room, basement gym and games room, and sits on a private estate that previously scooped a UK Property Award. Builders described the development as offering luxury homes on generous plots in a quiet cul-de-sac, combining traditional styling with modern materials and technology. The couple had spent years documenting their home improvements online, creating what appeared to be their perfect family base. But now James has moved out – meaning its future is another major question hanging over their separation. When news of their split broke last Friday, the pair confirmed they had already been living apart, with James taking time to focus on his mental health. Their manager and friend Vickie White said they “began a trial separation some time ago” and that their priority was co-parenting Ella. The former Strictly stars built a string of business interests together away from the ballroom, including their dance and fitness empire Credit: PA The pair built Dance Shred into a successful fitness business after transforming their own lifestyles but now face the challenge of untangling the venture Credit: James & Olas Dance Shred A source previously 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.” The couple met at a dance competition in Blackpool in 1999 and became professional partners before marrying in 2003. They joined Strictly in 2006, with Ola going on to lift the Glitterball with BBC sports presenter Chris Hollins in 2009. James quit the BBC show in 2014 after turning down a reduced role, while Ola stayed for another year before stepping away in 2015. Away from the ballroom, they built a new career together. After becoming parents, the pair admitted they had both piled on weight – and even said their expanding waistlines were affecting their sex life. Ola went on to lose more than three stone while James shed almost four, and they turned their transformation into Dance Shred. It became a major part of their business identity, with the pair regularly appearing together online to promote the programme. The pair have previously been remarkably candid about the realities of their marriage. James once said: “Marriage can be like a job sometimes, you’ve got to work at it. “I feel sometimes people are quick to give up on something and think the grass is always greener on the other side.” Ola similarly admitted the perfect lives portrayed by celebrities online are often anything but. She said: “It’s not all beautiful. Sometimes you can look at people’s posts think, ‘Oh they’ve got perfect lives’, but it’s not like that. James was recently pictured at a Paw Patrol event with daughter Ella as he and Ola focus on co-parenting following their split Credit: Getty James and Ola tied the knot in 2003 after meeting through competitive dancing – and went on to become one of Strictly’s best-known couples Credit: Instagram “No one’s got a perfect marriage. It’s a work in progress and if two people want to be together, they’ll make it happen.” Behind their perfect family pictures, things had clearly changed. Fans began noticing earlier this year that James and Ola were spending less time together. Last month James attended a Paw Patrol movie premiere with Ella, while Ola was separately snapped with their daughter at the opening of Paw Patrol Land at Chessington World of Adventures. The absence of one another sparked questions from followers, with one asking whether they had separated. Now we know that, by then, the couple had already been living separate lives. Their manager said in the statement confirming the split: “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.” Pals say the split is still fresh and neither knows exactly what the future will look like. After almost 30 years together, ending the Jordan partnership is going to require considerably more than simply taking off a wedding ring. There is a property portfolio to divide, a luxury family home to decide the fate of, and a fitness business worth hundreds of thousands of pounds to somehow disentangle.