One thing we can safely say about Ola Jordan, it’s that she’s not afraid to say whatever is on her mind, even if there’s a chance it could get land her in trouble.
Throughout her time on ‘Strictly Come Dancing’, Ola was renowned for letting people know exactly how she felt on whatever the issue of the day was, whether she was laying into the judges or spilling the beans about what really goes on behind the scenes.
And if they don’t believe us, they’d probably do well to check out her most outrageous and controversial moments below..
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ITV
Ola Jordan vs. The ‘Strictly’ Judges
One of Ola’s most famously outspoken moments came when she blasted the ‘Strictly’ judging line-up, suggesting that the professional dancers were more deserving of the pay packet the panel received.
She said back in 2014: “I would like to see more ballroom teachers on the panel and people who know about Latin dancing. Len is the only one who knows about ballroom.
“They all make a fortune. We get OK money. But compared to the judges? They sit one day a week and get a lot more than the dancers. Is that fair?”
After undergoing major knee surgery, Ola admitted that the incident could have seriously affected her dancing career, with ‘Strictly’ judge Bruno Tonioli criticising her for playing so fast and loose.
It’s not just matters of the dance floor that Ola has an opinion on, though, and made sure her voice was heard in 2016, in the lead-up to the EU referendum here in the UK.
In 2015, Ola’s last series of ‘Strictly Come Dancing’, she was partnered with former Olympian Iwan Thomas, which it was claimed at the time she was seriously unhappy with.
According to reports, Ola was hoping she’d be partnered with Peter Andre, with the intention of winning the show for the second time, with The Sun reporting that she’d kicked off in a major way when she found out who her actual partner was.
Ultimately, the two were the first couple to be eliminated from the series, with Ola announcing she was quitting in the weeks that followed.
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Iwan Thomas
Mike Marsland via Getty Images
Ola Jordan vs. The ‘Strictly’ wardrobe department
After quitting the show, Ola revealed in the lead-up to 2016’s series that she’d been banned from wearing more “sexy” outfits during her time on the show, as they didn’t go with the family-friendly ‘Strictly’ vibe.
Besides her controversial comments and show-stopping dance abilities, over the years both Ola and fellow ‘Strictly’ pro Kristina Rihanoff became well-known for their proactive calendars, which saw them stripping off and posing in a series of racy outfits.
While she was still on the show, it was reported that bosses were unhappy that Ola and Kristina were continuing to pose for their calendars, as they conflicted with the wholesome image of the show.
While Ola was quick to dispel rumours that she’d feuded with Kristina Rihanoff behind the scenes, she did admit to a furious row with fellow pro Karen Hauer in 2013.
She confirmed in a statement at the time: “On Monday 28th October, Karen Hauer verbally attacked Ola during group pro training. Ola did continue with her training as she couldn’t let her partner Ashley, or the show down.
“The BBC handled the matter and Karen has now apologised to Ola. Ola was deeply upset by the incident and has struggled emotionally this week.”
However, she later stuck up for Karen, telling her fans to stop bombarding her competitor with hateful messages.
Ola Jordan vs. Anastacia
Melvin Odoom became the first contestant to be sent home in the current series of ‘Strictly Come Dancing’, when Anastacia was unable to compete in the usual dance-off due to an injury related to her double mastectomy years prior.
While Melvin insisted there was no hard feelings, despite not being given his chance to shine, Ola was slammed for comments she made on social media, blasting the result as “bollocks” and insisting: “If you can’t dance you should be eliminated.”
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Twitter was not happy with Ola for her comments about Anastacia
BBC
Ola Jordan vs. ‘Strictly Come Dancing’
After a decade in the same job, some people want their last few weeks to be harmonious and free of drama completely. Not our Ola, though, who accused the BBC of fixing ‘Strictly’ weeks before she was set to perform as a professional for the final time.
‘I’m A Celebrity’ begins on Sunday, 16 November at 9pm on ITV.
NOW READ:
16 Most Controversial 'Strictly Come Dancing' Moments
Anton Du Beke Apologises After Racist Comment(01 of16)
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Pro dancer Anton became embroiled in a scandal in 2009, when he used a racial slur to describe his partner, Laila Rouass, during an off-air conversation.
While he later insisted that he'd only used the term "p**i" as backstage "banter" (*eyes roll wildly in head*), he did unreservedly apologise in a statement. (credit:BBC)
Brucie Rushes To Anton's Defence(02 of16)
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Former Strictly host Sir Bruce Forsyth took a bit of heat himself after the racism scandal, when he insisted Anton hadn't done anything wrong.
He said at the time: "We used to have a sense of humour about this. You go back 25, 30, 40 years and there has always been a bit of humour about the whole thing."
Brucie was later forced to backtrack in a more official capacity, with a statement saying: "To be absolutely clear, the use of racially offensive language is never either funny or acceptable."
Oh dear. (credit:BBC)
Arlene Phillips Gets The Chop(03 of16)
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After five years on Strictly, Arlene was suddenly axed from the panel in 2009, when she was replaced by then-champion Alesha Dixon, 26 years her junior.
The decision faced a huge backlash at the time, with many accusing the BBC of age discrimination, particularly when Harriet Harman even brought up the issue in the House of Commons. (credit:Michael Boyd/PA Archive)
Calls For Same-Sex Couples(04 of16)
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In the last few years, Strictly has repeatedly faced calls to feature same-sex pairs in the competition, and while they've repeatedly said there were "no plans" to do so, the BBC recently admitted they had changed their stance.
In 2018, much was made of a group performance from the show's professionals in which portions saw them teaming up in same-sex pairs. While some praised this as a step in the right direction, others branded it a "cop-out". (credit:BBC)
John Sergeant Dances Off The Show (Not Dragging Kristina Behind Him, Though)(05 of16)
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John Sergeant was not a good dancer. Lovely man, we're sure. Very bright, very successful. Rubbish dancer.
The judges knew it, he knew it and the public knew it - yet he stayed in the contest week after week.
When more proficient dancers wound up being sent home over John each week, he eventually decided to step down from the contest, as die-hard Strictly fans grew angrier.
He said: "The trouble is that there is now a real danger that I might win the competition. Even for me that would be a joke too far." (credit:BBC)
Anthony Ogogo And Oti Mabuse Make Race Observation(06 of16)
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When Anthony Ogogo and Oti Mabuse became the second contestants eliminated in 2015, they both came out and suggested they stood less of a chance at winning because they were black.
While Anthony said he was surprised the BBC chose not to "mix up" the minority contestants and professionals, Oti said: "It's no wonder that I got partnered with Anthony and that we got voted off second week, obviously people at the BBC don't want to see a black person win."
She later retracted her statement, and was welcomed back on the show in 2016, where she was partnered with Danny Mac. (credit:Mike Marsland via Getty Images)
Ola Jordan Lays Into The Judges(07 of16)
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Ola Jordan raised eyebrows when she suggested that pro dancers on Strictly weren't paid enough, particularly in comparison to the judges, who she accused of not knowing enough about ballroom.
Bruno Tonioli had some harsh words for her in response, fuming: "Those are the terms of the negotiations. If you don’t like it, stop moaning and fuck off." (credit:Eamonn McCormack via Getty Images)
James Jordan Asks: 'Why Sack Me?'(08 of16)
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Of course, Ola's husband James Jordan is the king of hitting out at Strictly, which he seems to do whenever the opportunity arises.
He departed from the show in 2014, accusing bosses of firing him. When a tweet from the show said he'd be missed, he fired back simply: "So why sack me?" (credit:Jonathan HordleRexShutterstock)
The Strictly 'Curse'(09 of16)
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At this point, the so-called Strictly "curse" has become synonymous with the show, with a load of stars breaking up with their partners during or immediately after their time on the show, and a handful even getting together with their professional partner.
From the 2018 final, for example, two of the celebrities are now dating their professional partners, while Ashley Roberts is also coupled up with Giovanni Pernice. (credit:BBC)
Seann Walsh And Katya Jones Are Caught Kissing(10 of16)
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Of course, the most famous example of the Strictly "curse" came in 2018, when Seann Walsh and Katya Jones were caught on camera kissing after a night out, despite them both being in relationships at the time.
To make matters worse, Seann's then-girlfriend released a statement accusing him of gaslighting her, revealing the kiss had taken place on her birthday. Unsurprisingly, she dumped him there and then.
Katya, meanwhile, was quick to insist that the indiscretion was not representative of her relationship with husband Neil Jones. Since then they've also announced their split, but dismissed claims that the Strictly scandal was anything to do with the break-up. (credit:Barcroft Media via Getty Images)
Craig Revel Horwood On Kristina Rihanoff(11 of16)
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On the subject of the 'curse', Kristina Rihanoff has some experience in that domain. She got together with Joe Calzaghe shortly after their time on the show, splitting in 2013.
It was around this time that she was partnered with Ben Cohen, who would later become the father of her child.
Judge Craig Revel Horwood later joked that Kristina was 'gutted' to be partnered with Daniel O'Donnell in 2015, adding: 'It was rather obvious she wasn’t going to get a hot, young celeb after everything that’s happened.
"It’s natural to fall in love with your dance partner when you’re spending so much time together and Kristina managed it a few times!"
Ouch. (credit:Eamonn McCormack via Getty Images)
Jamelia Accuses The Show Of Favouring Peter Andre(12 of16)
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After landing herself in a record five dance-offs, Jamelia made the rather surprising move of accusing the show of favouring Peter Andre, when she lost out to him in 2015.
On Loose Women that week, she said: "It wasn’t until they re-recorded Pete’s standing ovation, I’d say that was the moment we knew we were going home."
Like Maleficent at a christening, James Jordan also offered his take, suggesting Peter was being given an unfair advantage by opening or closing the show each week. (credit:Anthony Harvey via Getty Images)
Ola And Kristina's Sexy Calendars(13 of16)
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It was reported while Ola Jordan and Kristina Rihanoff were still on the show, that 'Strictly' bosses were unhappy with their annual racy calendars, claiming they clashed with the show's family-friendly image.
The accompanying image is one of the photos from Ola's calendar the year after. It's safe to say she was not here for that critique. (credit:FameFlyNetukcom)
'Doping' Accusations(14 of16)
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In April 2016, a London doctor alleged that he'd prescribed performance-enhancing drugs to a number of athletes, including two 'Strictly' pros.
A 'Strictly' spokesperson later countered: "In the absence of any evidence or further information being presented to us, we will not be commenting." (credit:Richard Stonehouse via Getty Images)
Craig Revel Horwood Is Forced To Apologise Before The Series Has Even Begu(15 of16)
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While Craig is known for his cutting remarks on the judging panel, we weren't expecting them to start before we'd even seen a single episode of the 2019 series.
He made headlines when, during a taping of the pre-recorded series launch, he made a joke about Stacey Dooley and Kevin Clifton's romance that producers deemed so inappropriate he had to issue an apology.
"I’m deeply sorry for the offence caused to Kevin and Stacey and everyone who works on the show," he said.
"I recognise that what I said was hurtful, cruel and incredibly disrespectful. It was a huge error of judgment that I very much regret.” (credit:SOPA Images via Getty Images)
Danny John-Jules Accuses Show Of 'Creating Stories' About Him(16 of16)
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Red Dwarf star Danny John-Jules got off to a flying start on the series in 2018, but the wheels started to come off when reports emerged in the press accusing him of "bullying" his partner, Amy Dowden.
Both Danny and Amy denied this was the case, with the actor accusing the journalists behind the claims of being racist.
After leaving the show, he suggested there was a "vendetta" against him, later accusing the BBC of playing a part by "creating stories about him" for the press.
The BBC was quick to dismiss this suggestion, insisting they were "categorically untrue". (credit:Karwai Tang via Getty Images)