James Jordan has opened up about why he will never return to Strictly Come Dancing or Dancing on Ice.

The former professional dancer, who has been part of the reality TV world for years, explained that his decision to step away is tied to both physical changes and his respect for the current generation of dancers.

In an interview with The Mirror with SkyVegas James said: “I love watching the younger pros create beautiful performances. I left Strictly 13 years ago, but the show has been running for 21 years, and so much has changed. Dance itself has evolved – it’s more acrobatic, more demanding. My body wouldn’t be able to do a lot of what they do now, and that’s just part of life. It’s the same reason Jayne [Torvill] and Christopher [Dean] are stepping away from skating. I don’t want to be compared to today’s pros – I’m almost twice their age, and my body simply won’t do what it used to.”

James Jordan has opened up about why he will never return to Strictly Come Dancing or Dancing on Ice ( 
Image:
ITV)
James continued: “I’d never return as a professional, but I’d love to go back on Dancing on Ice for a little skate. I still enjoy it, though I’d need a fair bit of practice first! Maybe I’d do a show dance or something fun. I remember how much I pushed my body in my 20s and 30s, and now, approaching 50, there’s just no way I could keep up with that level.”

This comes after speculation that Dancing on Ice could be at risk of cancellation, with the 17th series, which concluded on Sunday, potentially being its last. Dancing on Ice staff have reportedly been told that the ITV show is being cancelled after the finale due to declining ratings.

One source told The Mirror earlier this month: “There are very real fears this is the end of the road for Dancing on Ice. It’s had a good run for nearly 20 years and has a very loyal set of viewers who really love it but the sad truth is there’s just not enough of them. We need bums on seats but the ratings have dropped to a point where it’s difficult to justify the cost.”

James joined Strictly in 2006 and went on to win Dancing on Ice in 2019 ( 
Image:
Matt Frost/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)

“The staffers on Dancing On Ice are saying the show is over and claim they’ve been told as much,” a source told The Sun. “It’s a mainstay of ITV’s schedule and viewing figures are remarkably less than they were but they still had almost three million watch the launch show.” They added that the format has become “tired” and that Dancing on Ice will most likely be “rested and given a new lease of life”. Meanwhile, they claim that executives will be going into meetings about the show’s future after last night’s final, with questions over “whether ITV is getting bang for its buck” due to high production costs.

“Staff working on it aren’t holding out much hope,” they added. An ITV spokesperson told The Mirror: “The Dancing On Ice team has been fully concentrating on the much anticipated series finale last night and therefore no decision has been made.”