Jason: ‘Will me & Nadine get back together? You never know!’
The Strictly star tells us why he’ll forever be #Teamgirlsaloud
e may be lesser-known to UK audiences, but we’re already starting to fall a little bit in love with Jason Bell. After all, the former American football player isn’t just giddy with excitement about starring on Strictly, he’s also more than happy to indulge our hopes of seeing a fit man in sequins shimmy it for the cameras – hey, it’s been a long lockdown. We need this. However, there’s only one lady (OK, two) that Jason’s really dancing for – his ex-fiancée Nadine Coyle and their six-year-old daughter Anaiya. The pair dated on/off for 11 years, before calling it quits in 2019 – but speaking to heat, Jason, 42, hints that their romance might just be due an encore… How’s the training going? I enjoy it. It brings me back to when I was playing football. The mental exhaustion when you’re trying to learn a playbook, it’s the same with dancing – you’re tired, but you still have to remember all these steps. It’s very challenging.
HIs Luba [Mushtuk, Jason’s pro-partner] a tough taskmaster? Yeah, but I like it. She’s such a good coach, because she’s really caught on to how I’m able to break down this stuff. I’m now very well aware of what I have to do and how much I have to practise. Those outfits are pretty tight – are you ready to become one of the UK’S top pin-ups? Ha! That would be really interesting. Yeah, I have no problem with it. Count me in. Are you in this to win it? I’m in it to be in the moment. I’m not looking at the end result of the journey. A lot of people don’t get to do this, so I’d better enjoy every moment. Is Anaiya enjoying seeing you perform? She’s so excited. She’s a little performer herself, so this is something she can totally identify with and thinks is fabulous. But she is a tough critic. I’m all about impressing her – she’s got a real cool, laid-back demeanour like her mother, so I’ve got to come with the good stuff. Has Nadine given you advice? At the beginning, I was asking her what the tricks were for learning routines – she’s done it for a long time, so her telling me how to do it was very comforting. And she knows me better than anybody, so she can explain it to me in a way she knows is good for me. You guys have such a great friendship – what’s the secret? I love her! I love who she is as a person – always have and always will. The thing about Nadine is that if you watch her, and see how she cares about her daughter and the people she loves, it’s infectious. What do you think about people wanting you two to get back together? A lot of people want a lot of things, so you never know! So, you’re not interested in dating anyone else? No, not for me. I’ve got two women in my life who take up all my time, and one of them is six years old. The big question is, will you be dancing to any Girls Aloud songs? I don’t know, I’m going week to week. Anything can happen. I’m a big fan of Girls Aloud. I’ve heard their lead singer is amazing. ■