Strictly Come Dancing star left speechless as TV icon declares love for him (2025)

Vanessa Feltz was joined on her new Channel 5 daytime chat show by her ex Strictly professional partner James Jordan and his wife Ola, when she made the candid confession

Strictly Come Dancing favourite James Jordan was taken aback when new Channel 5 host Vanessa Feltz confessed she had "passionately fallen in love with him" during their stint on the BBC One dance show.

On her brand-new daytime talk show, Vanessa, accompanied by the former Strictly dancer and his wife Ola, revealed her previously unspoken feelings for James, leaving him visibly surprised.

The television legend competed in the 2013 Strictly series, with James as her partner.

Their partnership was short-lived, as Vanessa exited the show in an early round, causing any spark she felt for James to diminish rapidly.

Reminiscing about their 'Strictly' days, James quipped: "It was actually really romantic," which spurred Vanessa to comment: "It was actually very lovely and I would say for a really heady and insane magical...."

Catching James off-guard, she playfully said: "You don't know what I am going to say, do you? Look at him he's looking like he doesn't know what I am going to say," before bravely confessing: "For an insane 24 to 48 hours I fell passionately in love with him.", reports Wales Online.

Vanessa then admitted: "I had a partner at the time and I was happy in my relationship, ish. But I fell passionately in love with him."

She reminisced about meeting Ola, saying: "Then I remember you coming in to show me how steps should be done and then I kind of woke up thinking this is ridiculous but there is something intoxicating."

James posed the question: "Did you fall in love with me?" The host quickly admitted: "Cause I did, for about 48 hours."

She added: "Only 48 hours, but I did though and I remember you came to do my radio show at the BBC and I remember you walked out and my heart was going and I was 50 and I was about to be a grandmother."

She didn't hold back her feelings, saying: "I was thinking, I love him, I love him. Then I thought oh come on this is ridiculous, grow up don't be an idiot."

The conversation then shifted towards why Vanessa and James might have been matched on Strictly Come Dancing, as they speculated about the producers' decisions.

Vanessa shared her suspicions, although she conceded she "couldn't prove it", she speculated that the bosses might have anticipated a clash between them.

Outspoken about her theory, she remarked: "They didn't pair us together because they thought we were the best couple. It is my view and we can't prove it but there are marinations going on.

"They could be looking for friction and fireworks. I think they paired me with James because they thought we'd be at loggerheads."