Former Strictly Come Dancing professional James Jordan has opened up about his rigorous fitness regime and the health battles he's faced ahead of his upcoming theatre tour
Former Strictly Come Dancing star James Jordan has opened up about his fears of collapsing on stage during the high-octane Legends of the Dance Floor tour last year.
The tour, which featured a stellar line-up of ex-BBC dance professionals including Ian Waite, Pasha Kovalev, Brendan Cole, and Vincent Simone, wowed audiences nationwide with their dynamic performances and amusing anecdotes from their time on the show.
Despite the group's success, James, who is married to fellow Strictly alumna Ola Jordan, admitted that returning to the rigours of live shows proved daunting. He was particularly apprehensive about a fast-paced jive number, where he worried for his wellbeing amidst the excitement of performing to full houses.
He shared with The Sun: "Every night I did that jive I thought 'is tonight the night that I'm going to die?'" With a chuckle, he recounted: "Pasha, you're the one every night that used to say 'if he dies he dies.'"
James, 46, is thankfully in fine fettle and is already preparing for another round of performances this September with The Return of the Legends, reports Edinburgh Live.
Last year's tour not only thrilled fans but also earned accolades from Strictly's head judge Shirley Ballas, and the dancers are fully committed to their upcoming engagements.
Moreover, James and his colleague Ian Waite have recently returned from a gruelling fitness retreat abroad, where they were joined by other sports personalities, including Olympic champion swimmer Rebecca Adlington.
At 54, Ian is the eldest of the group but has no qualms about flaunting his remarkable eight-pack, setting a high bar for physical fitness. James, while not as chiselled, has shown considerable commitment to his health, overcoming numerous challenges, including shoulder surgery and complex hernia repairs.
With the prospect of touring fuelling his motivation, James is determined to be in top form for their forthcoming performances.
James remarked: "Ian is just an anomaly, he's a freak of nature. I've just been for a week with him on holiday actually a fitness week; he's 54 years old and he's as fit as anyone 20 years younger than him."
James previously appeared as a professional dancer on Strictly (Image: (Image: GETTY))
He continued, detailing his own struggles: "I'm trying to keep up but unfortunately, genetically, don't have the same joints and bones that Ian does. I've had shoulder surgery, I need shoulder surgery on this one, I've just had a hernia operation where they had to totally reconstruct my inguinal canal."
James also opened up about other health issues he faces: "I've got bad knees, I suffer with my back, I've got tennis elbow. However, I'm one of these people, as Ian knows, I've got to get over myself and try and get through it, and this year will be no different."
The Return of the Legends will be on tour from September
