James Jordan has revealed he felt “devastated” after missing out on a judging role on Dancing On Ice.
The former Strictly Come Dancing professional won the ITV skating contest in 2019. He has now said he wanted to move from competing on the rink to joining the Dancing On Ice judging panel.
However, James claimed he was replaced by someone else at the last minute. But he believed he had effectively secured the job.
James Jordan opens up about Dancing On Ice judging blow
Speaking on the latest episode of MANOPAUSE with Brendan Cole & James Jordan, the dancer addressed a group of aspiring creatives about career setbacks.
James said: “Everyone gets disappointed, we get disappointed.”
He then shared his own experience of losing the Dancing On Ice opportunity.
James explained: “I went for a judging gig on Dancing On Ice and I was kinda pretty much promised it. Then last minute I was replaced by someone else.”
The star admitted that he had long pictured himself offering his verdicts from the other side of the ice rink.
He joked: “And I was gutted because I’ve always wanted to be sitting on that panel… judging people and being horrible!”
James shares message about handling rejection
Although the decision hit James hard at the time, he used the experience to encourage others not to let one missed job halt their progress.
He said: “When I didn’t get it I was devastated, but then other doors open […] so don’t be hung up on the jobs that you don’t get.”
James also argued that talent alone does not guarantee a successful career. Instead, he stressed the value of determination and repeatedly pursuing new opportunities.
He added: “Eventually if you work hard – and it is about work ethic, don’t think that you’re going to get there on talent alone. It’s the ones that keep knocking on the door, keep fighting, keep pushing.”
From Strictly Come Dancing to Dancing On Ice champion
James joined Strictly Come Dancing as a professional dancer in 2006 and remained on the BBC programme until 2013.
He later entered Celebrity Big Brother in 2014 and finished in third place. James returned to the reality show as an All-Star contestant in 2017, when he placed 13th.
His own Dancing On Ice journey proved successful. James lifted the trophy with professional skater Alexandra Schauman after winning series 11 in 2019.
The dancer now co-hosts the MANOPAUSE podcast and continues to perform on stage.
Read more: James Jordan admits he’s going through a ‘midlife crisis’ following split from Ola
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