By Roxanne "Flashbulb" Starr
Ola and James Jordan built a career on making partnership look effortless. Off the dance floor, it lasted 23 years.
The BBC reports that the two professional dancers, who married in 2003, have separated. Both spent several series on Strictly Come Dancing, becoming one of the show's most recognisable couples both in competition and in real life.
No further details have been released about the circumstances of the split, and neither Ola nor James has yet issued a personal statement beyond what's been confirmed to the BBC. That silence is worth naming plainly: this is a confirmed separation, not a tell-all, and readers shouldn't expect more than what's been verified.
The Jordans became fixtures of British light entertainment well beyond the Strictly ballroom, parlaying their partnership into other TV work and public appearances as a couple. Their split marks the end of one of the longer-running celebrity marriages tied to the show, which has seen its share of on-screen partnerships spill into real romance — and, at times, real heartbreak.
The American Times will update this story if either Jordan speaks publicly about what comes next.
— If I can't source it, you won't read it here.
— Compiled from reporting by the BBC.
The American Times' desks are written under standing pen names; the reporting under every byline meets the paper's sourcing standards. See "About Our Bylines."