Exclusive: Inside James and Ola Jordan’s luxury Turkey holiday with daughter Ella

It’s sun, sea and sand for Ola and James Jordan this week, as the former Strictly Come Dancing stars are enjoying a holiday abroad with their three-year-old daughter Ella.

Talking to us from their stunning hotel room at the Titanic Deluxe Golf Belek resort in Turkey, the couple told HELLO! all about their luxury break, which is their first family holiday in a year – and their first holiday since their incredible body transformations.

In the exclusive video below, see sweet Ella having a ball in Turkey with her mum and dad, from swimming to dinners out and bonding as a trio.

Also in this week’s column, James and Ola open up about their first parents’ evening at Ella’s nursery which had them in tears, and why Ella is suffering with leg pain at night…

The Jordans’ luxury holiday

Ola: It’s really nice where we are; it’s so good for the kids.

James: It’s very luxurious here at the hotel, and the food is amazing. We’ve been to the Italian restaurant here and tonight we’re going to the Greek restaurant. They smash plates there so it’s a bit of an experience.

The swimming pools are great too. We were a bit worried about going to the beach because you have to get a train or a boat there but it was fine.

MORE:  James and Ola Jordan’s surprising wedding renewal plans revealed 

Ola: We hardly ever go to the beach anyway because James and Ella don’t normally like sand, but actually the trip to the beach is like a little kiddie train, which is fun and it only takes three minutes. The boat ride is 10 minutes down the lake.

James: There are loads of tavernas and restaurants at the beach, it’s impressive.

Ola: We took Ella to the beach today and built sandcastles. She loved the sand today. I think because she’s growing up, she likes different things.

James: And she’s swimming really well. The only thing is, she doesn’t like going underwater but maybe that will come in time. She’s almost putting her goggles in the water  – every now and again I push her in but she doesn’t like it.

Ola: Then she cries to me, ‘Daddy pushed me in!’

Ola: We last went on holiday about a year ago and that was before we lost weight with our fitness programme, Dance Shred.

James: We get recognised more now. More people come and talk to us when we’re in shape! [laughs]. Lots of people have actually been speaking to us about Dance Shred.

© Ola and James Jordan

HELLO!: Have you been asked to do a routine at the hotel yet?!

James: No! Ella is so cute with the hotel music though… as soon as the music comes on, she’s the first one dancing. She’s going to be a raver when she’s older. Then after dinner, she wants to go to the disco.

Ola: We get to the disco, the music hasn’t started yet and she says, ‘Mummy, I want to go to bed.’ So off we go to bed at 9.30.

James: Today we’re going to see if she’ll nap, even for half an hour, because she’s then like a Duracell battery – she’ll probably go till midnight.

 MORE:  Exclusive: James and Ola Jordan reveal how combined 6.5 stone weight loss has spiced up their love life 

Holiday clothes battles

Ola: I’ve not been having an easy time with Ella’s outfits this holiday – she doesn’t always agree with us about her clothes.

Like yesterday, I told her we were all going to wear yellow for some photos but she didn’t want to and had a meltdown, saying, ‘I don’t like it mummy’. And then daddy had a meltdown!

James: I got cross with her because we keep giving in to her.

Ola: I know. She was going on about the costume for a really long time, so I thought maybe she really doesn’t like it.

James: Last night she did the same thing with her dress. I put my foot down and said she was wearing it and then she said she liked it!

HELLO!: Ella, tell us about your favourite clothes…

Ella: Peppa Pig clothes and Minnie Mouse.

HELLO!: What colours do you like wearing?

Ella: Pink! And yellow and green and purple.

Ella gets growing pains

James: Ella has been suffering a lot at night with her legs. We think it’s growing pains. I suffered with it a lot as a kid and my mum said I had it really bad, and so does Ella.

Even today when she was in the pool, she was complaining about her legs hurting. At night she’s in so much pain, isn’t she?

Ola: Yeah. A lot of pain. Before she would just whine and go, ‘Oh my legs’, but now she’s screaming.

James: It’s almost like they are cramping because I can feel her muscles tensing.

Ola: So we’ve got the Nurofen and Calpol with us because we knew she’d really suffer.

Emotional parents’ meeting at nursery

Ola: We had Ella’s parents’ meeting before we came on holiday and it was so emotional. Daddy was crying, and then I started crying and I think the teacher was even a bit teary!

James: The teacher is leaving this year and she started saying, ‘Oh it was such an honour. Ella is such an amazing child and she’s so good, I’m so happy I got to teach her and I’m so proud of her. She’s come on so well.’

Ola: Then we’re all crying at the meeting. And James started the crying, by the way.

James: No I didn’t, I had something in my eye, I told you!

Ola: It was the first meeting for us to hear how she’s progressing.

James: They have a chart with different subjects and a line for their age and how they’re doing, and she was above on everything. It just made me really proud.

I mean, we know she’s great. The only thing that drives me mad is the crying when she doesn’t get her own way, but she’s three years old, I have to remember that.

Ola: I wonder who that reminds me of… [points at James]

James: How rude!

Ola: Ella can be quite naughty sometimes at home so we asked the teacher if she behaved like that at nursery too, but she said, ‘Well she’s not naughty here. She’s very good.’ We’re happy with that.