INTERVIEW
Dancer and TV star Jordan Banjo opens up about his BFF Carol Vorderman – and why he was left starstruck by Katie Price
He became a household name after storming the BGT stage with dance troupe Diversity – led by brother Ashley – in 2009, when they triumphed over Susan Boyle to win the talent show. Now, 14 years on, and Jordan’s star is still shining after recently completing his second stint in I’m A Celebrity… – seven years on from his first time on the show in 2016, when campmate Scarlett Moffatt scooped the title of jungle queen.
This time around, despite his close friend and Diversity co-star Perri Kiely having joked that he had a crush on Myleene Klass due to their close friendship, Jordan admits all eyes were on his sassy campmate, Carol Vorderman – who made headlines recently for a string of sexy selfies at 62.
Now Jordan, 30 – who originally met Carol during his first appearance on the show – tells Closer that his friends couldn’t wait for him to go back into the jungle with her.
“A lot of my friends messaged me about Carol because they all fancy her. Last year she went viral for her body and how beautiful she looks and all my friends were so excited for me when I was in the jungle with her. But none of them would stand a chance with Carol. I wouldn’t even insult her with them. She’s way too prestigious for any of my mates!” he laughs.
MOTHER FIGURE
“She’s saved in my phone as ‘Carol Jungle Mama’ and she’s saved me as ‘Jungle Son’. She looked after me the whole way through my first stint on the show. She’d always check in with me and make sure I was OK. She was like a second mum.”
Reflecting back on the journey to fame, which has landed him where he is today – as one of the nation’s favourite radio DJs for his Kiss FM morning gig and an esteemed presenter for the BBC, having landed the role of presenting the King’s Coronation Concert in May – Jordan still remembers his first huge showbiz outing at BGT boss Simon Cowell’s 50th birthday bash in 2009.
And he says seeing Katie Price – who had a series of notorious reality shows with her ex-husband Peter Andre from 2004 to 2009 – was the highlight.
He says, “The year we won, we went to his 50th birthday party and I’d just turned 16. We all arrived wearing matching suits. I just looked around and thought, ‘This is a different world, it’s crazy!’
“Everyone was there. I’ll always remember seeing Katie Price – Iwas starstruck beyond belief. I grew up watching her reality show with Peter Andre. I was too scared to talk to her. She�
