Denise Van Outen and James Jordan are Kent’s dream team in this year’s Strictly Come Dancing. Chris Price reports.

There might well have been some hometown pride when James Jordan found out he had been partnered with West End star Denise Van Outen on Strictly Come Dancing.

Although she might have said she is hoping to bring a bit of Essex to the dancefloor, Denise will also be counting on Kent when it comes to getting votes on the show presented by Sir Bruce Forsyth and Tess Daly.

The 38-year-old TV presenter lives in Biddenden with husband actor and singer Lee Mead and their two-year-old daughter Betsy, making something of a Kentish double act after she was paired with Gillingham-born James.

Already among the bookies favourites to win, the pair have also picked the county for their training. They are practising at Margaret Preedy’s Dance Studio, Maidstone, which is a handy place for James, who now lives near the town with his professional partner and wife Ola. The couple previously lived in Kings Hill.

James grew up in Boxley Road, Walderslade, with his mother Sharon and father Allan, both 60. He started dancing at the age of 11 and went on to teach Latin American dance in Hong Kong for about four years with Ola. After taking a break from competitions, the duo returned to competitive dancing in 2005, becoming Latin American Closed British Finalists and competing at the British Open in Blackpool.

That was where the pair were seen by the BBC. This will be James and Ola’s seventh series on Strictly Come Dancing – the competition Ola, 30, won in 2009 with another Kent lad, BBC presenter Chris Hollins. This year Ola is partnered by EastEnders actor Sid Owen.

“It is great seeing James on the show,” said his father Allan who now lives on St Mary’s Island, Chatham.

“We supported him all through his early dance career. It is reward for all the efforts we have put in. Don’t get me wrong – it was James who put in all the work – but we have been behind him all the way through and it is nice to see him get there.”

James and his father share another passion together – golf. It was James who got his father into the sport about four years ago and they can often be seen playing at Deangate Ridge at Hoo. His mum Sharon is also something of a handy golfer.

Allan said: “He comes and plays with me every now and again. He normally beats me. He plays off about 10 or 11.”

Straight-talking James is known for not shying away from the odd confrontation with the judges on Strictly, which include Dartford dance school teacher Len Goodman and new judge Darcey Bussell. The 34-year-old dancer also struggles to get things his own way at home as well, his father joked.

“Ola’s got control over James, don’t worry about that,” laughed Allan.

“She calls the tune. He does not like to think it but she does. What Ola says, happens.

“He is a strong-willed character but they have got a fantastic relationship and he really looks after her. He brought her parents over from Poland last weekend for Ola’s birthday. They do nice things like that for each other.”

Denise can't wait to start

Queen of Essex Denise Van Outen is a star of stage and screen and she now lives in Biddenden. After beginning her career on the Big Breakfast, Denise has gone on to grab lead roles in the West End and Broadway as Roxie Hart in Chicago and starred in Legally Blonde The Musical. She also climbed Mount Kilimanjaro.

What are you most looking forward to about Strictly?

There’s so many things! Firstly of course all the costumes. I’m sure every woman taking part says that. But mainly the dancing, because when I was a kid I just loved to dance and I can’t wait to just get into it, and be feeling really fit and healthy. I’m really looking forward to the group numbers the most, all dancing together and having a laugh.

What made you decide to take part in Strictly this year?

Most years I’ve tried to watch, but often been in shows, so I’ve never been able to do it myself. Last year I was in Legally Blonde and I remember sitting in my dressing room watching Holly Valance doing her Chicago number and I just thought ‘I want to be doing that!’ I knew that when the chance came that I really wanted to do it and this year finally I can!

How would you rate your dancing skills out of 10?

Well I can move. I’ve got the basic dancing skills thanks to theatre school. But this is all really new to me, and I haven’t danced properly for about 15 years. When I say properly, I mean in a stage show when I’ve had to dance. I’d give myself maybe a four out of 10. I’m most nervous about the fact that people will think I can dance already because of my stage career, but I’ve actually never had a true dancing role. Even in Chicago, Roxie is not the dancing role. She is sitting on a chair most of the time, and not in any of the group numbers. That’s what I worry about the most, people thinking I’m a dancer when I’m not. I’m hoping that after this I might be able to be cast in more dancing roles on the stage. That’s my hope.

What Len thinks...

Len Goodman runs the Goodman Dance Centre in Dartford. Known for his keen eye for technicality he is also top judge on Strictly’s US version Dancing With The Stars.

What’s the single best thing you love about Strictly?

It’s great to be a part of such a successful TV programme, and one that as far as I’m concerned has charm.

And what’s the toughest thing?

The toughest thing regarding the judging is if you have to be critical, I like to try and do it in a positive way. I like to find the positives first and if there are negatives mention them after. I don’t like the way some judges brutalise people and just go for the jugular with negative, negative, negative. There’s always something you can commend someone on however bad it is, even if you just say ‘well you came out and you gave it your best shot’. You’ve got to find the positives for someone, and then I sometimes get grumpy with Craig when he just goes for the critical all the time, I don’t like that - I don’t think it’s right. You’ve got to admire the celebrities, they’re attempting something that most of them have never done before and you’ve got to give them a little bit of praise for that, and if you don’t I think it’s deplorable.

Darcey Bussell is joining the panel this year. How do you think she’ll be as a judge?

Well you can’t knock Darcey’s credentials as a dancer. I think she’ll bring a different element to the judging because of her ballet training. She’ll be looking for musicality, lyrical movement, things like that which sometimes us three tend to gloss over a little bit. I think she’s going to be terrific.

You and Craig often disagree on things, are you sworn enemies or is it all good natured?

I think Craig is a charming chap, I like him very much, and I get on well with him. When we’re on the tour we have lots of fun and we go off to lunch together all the time, but sometimes I disagree with his critiques, in the same way he probably disagrees with mine. We’ve all got dance backgrounds but they’re slightly different. I don’t like it when he just attacks people, and I just try to defend them. I don’t like bullies, and a bully is someone who attacks someone who can’t defend themselves. I know they can (defend themselves) those celebrities but quite often they don’t and they just stand there and take it, and I try to come to their defence a little bit. As far as getting on with each other is concerned we’re great mates, and whatever I say to him or he says to me, by the time the shows over we’re having a glass of wine and carrying on as though nothing had happened!

Do you have an all-time-favourite, stand out Strictly moment?

When Mark Ramprakash got tied up in his mic and Bruce came to the rescue that was a stand out! The thing is this, what’s bizarre about Strictly Come Dancing is if I said to you ‘do you remember John Sergeant performing?’ you’d say ‘yes I do’ but if I asked you who won it that series you probably couldn’t remember. Obviously Russell Grant is still on our minds, but the same goes for Ann Widdecome. It’s a funny thing how it’s the bizarre ones who stay in your mind and the really good ones sometimes get left behind!

What was life like for you before Strictly?

When I first got asked to do it all my mates were saying ‘oh you’re going to be a megastar’ jokingly, but I’ve always just told my family and friends if I ever start acting like anything different from Len Goodman the dance teacher from Dartford, you’ve got to let me know and punch me in the stomach because I would hate that. I am who I am.

Strictly Come Dancing live shows begin on Friday, October 5 at 9pm. It is the first part of a two-night spectacular, continued on Saturday, October 6 at 6.30pm.