James Jordan admits BBC Strictly role would be ‘dream job’ but admits ‘They’re not ready for honesty!’

Opening up about whether he’d return to Strictly as a judge if asked, the 48-year-old shared: “Yes, it would be the dream job. I don’t think they’re ready for the honesty, I don’t know.

“Let’s ask the public. Do the public want to see a bit of honesty back on the show? Probably, I do.

“Even if it wasn’t me, have Brendan on there. Someone that’s going to be honest.

“Someone of our ilk that is not afraid to say the truth, and not everyone’s going to like it.

“But if you’re speaking your truth instead of trying to sugarcoat everything because society says you can’t say the truth…

“I don’t know. I just think it makes it a bit more entertaining, a bit more real.”

| BBC

Sharing his thoughts on the longest-running Strictly judge Craig Revel Horwood, who often takes on the role of the “villain” of the panel, Mr Jordan theorised on why some have said he has softened his approach over the last few years.

“I just think that’s the BBC have maybe told him to rein in a bit because of people’s mental health,” he commented.

“But I mean, Jesus Christ, if you’re going on a dance show competition and your mental health is that bad that someone telling you you’re not a good dancer is going to affect you in such a bad way, maybe you shouldn’t be going on the show.

“Maybe they need to do more mental health checks before they get people going on these shows.”

| PA

Mr Jordan recently shared on his podcast that he had been essentially promised a role on ITV’s Dancing on Ice before the show decided to go in a different direction.

“It’s something that I’ve always wanted to do to sit, on that judging panel because I know it’s something that I would be very good at,” he told GB News.

“And I think the public would like the honesty. Like I used to love Jason Gardiner, but sometimes he maybe took it too far. But I like that brutal honesty.

“There’s nothing wrong with being honest, and people are so precious nowadays.

“They’re not going on Strictly to become professional dancers. So if you say something wasn’t good, is that is that that bad to say that?

“Is that the world we live in now, where you’re not allowed to say someone didn’t do something good. I mean, it’s pathetic. So I just find it all a little bit too nicey, nicey, nicey now.”

Strictly returns this weekend for the launch show of 2026.

Celebrity contestants confirmed for theseries include Dani Dyer, Delta Goodrem, Shaun Wright-Phillips, Melanie Walters, Lacey Turner, Chris Appleton, Will Best, Dame Sarah Storey, Jaime Winstone, Bethany Antonia, Graeme Hall, Lawrence Robb, Tabby Stoecker and John Nellis.

Judges Shirley Ballas, Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse and Anton Du Beke will all be returning.