Ex-Strictly star James Jordan hits back after resurfaced training footage from show sparks backlash
18 July 2024, 06:31 | Updated: 18 July 2024, 10:28
Ex-Strictly star James Jordan has hit back after old training footage from his time on the show sparked backlash.
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A video posted on TikTok showed the former pro telling his partner, Georgina Bouzova: "I drag you across the floor and then scream when you get up."
Another clip showed Jordan saying: "I will push her to her limit. She will go through that pain, and as far as I’m concerned, tough luck. Unless she’s actually physically broken a rib, I don’t care. Unless her feet are bleeding I don’t care, if they are sore, dance through it."
He was also shown telling Bouzova he thinks she should lose weight.
When Bouzova asks Jordan if he thinks she looks fat, he says "no" but asked if she "could do with losing a bit of...", Jordan said "yes".
Bouzova later claimed Jordan only allowed her to buy pineapple and ham when they went to a supermarket together.
The footage was filmed during a training session and shown on Strictly spin off It Takes Two during the 2006 series.
Read more: Strictly Come Dancing 'struggling to get female contestants' after misconduct scandals
Jordan issued a defiant statement following backlash over the video, saying it had been edited in that way for entertainment.
He said producers "thought it would be fun to put this VT together in the way they did" adding that "You can see Georgina laughing about it in the studio and in the clips".
He said he was painted as the bad guy during his time on the show and he played along but would never "deliberately upset anyone".
Sharing an Instagram post, Jordan said: "For those of you who have seen the edited BBC VT of me training with Georgina 18 years ago - yes I had hair once!!
"But I just wanted to reassure you that footage was shot and edited together by the BBC team for transmission on It Takes Two 18 years ago in specific ways for the purposes of ENTERTAINMENT.
"Many of the clips were not related to Georgina at all (they are not allowed to do that these days as it misrepresents what actually happened) but were included for the purpose of exaggeration.
"The BBC thought it would be fun to put this VT together in the way they did. You can see Georgina laughing about it in the studio and in the clips... And I have never received ANY complaints from any of my celebrity dance partners in the 8 years I was on the show.
"Obviously if I had genuinely upset anyone, that footage would NEVER have been allowed to be used in that way by the BBC themselves.
"The producers loved to paint me as the bad guy and I played along... always a perfectionist... but I would never have deliberately upset anyone and pride myself on good friendships with my celebrity dance partners.
"I strongly suggest that nobody attempts to link this edited BBC VT with the current alleged reports of abusive behaviour taking place behind the scenes by other Strictly professionals.
"There is no comparison to be drawn between those awful allegations and the highly produced and exaggerated VT from the BBC archives that is featuring on social media. To be clear, I deplore bullying or abusiveness in the workplace.
"Big love to all of you."
It comes after Strictly executives confirmed celebrity participants will have chaperones in all future rehearsals after misconduct claims against two professional dancers - Graziano Di Prima and Giovanni Pernice.
Both of the dancers have been removed from this year's line-up.
The show will also introduce two dedicated welfare producers as they seek to toughen up safeguarding measures.
