James Cracknell’s wife Jordan has revealed she went to the same school as Billy Joel’s daughter as she opens up on her upbringing in New York surrounded by celebrities and socialites.
The Olympian, 53, tied the knot with his second wife, who is 14 years his junior, in 2021 after the pair met as mature students at Cambridge University.
The rowing gold medalist was studying for a masters in human evolution at Peterhouse College, while Jordan spent 12-months training for an MBA at Cambridge Judge Business School.
The pair began dating after finishing their degrees and now live together in Fulham, West London.
GB News presenter Beverley Turner, 52, who was married to James for 17 years, even congratulated her ex’s new marriage in a social media post.
And now Jordan, 42, has revealed her elite life prior to meeting and marrying James.
James Cracknell’s wife Jordan has opened up on her upbringing in New York surrounded by celebrities and socialites (pictured above with Jordan in December 2019)
Jordan has revealed she ‘did the whole Gossip Girl’ thing as she was raised in New York’s Upper East Side and educated in Manhattan.
The exclusive area is home to the rich and famous and was the backdrop to the hit drama series, which starred Blake Lively and Leighton Meester, following the lives of New York’s socialite teenagers.
Jordan went to Nightingale-Bamford School – the alma mater of Alexa Ray Joel, the daughter of Billy Joel and Christie Brinkley, Bette Midler’s daughter, Sophie von Haselberg, and the American socialite Olivia Palermo.
The prestigious all-girls private school costs around £51,000 a year ($68,350) and was even attended by Gossip Girl author Cecily von Ziegesar.
It is said she used the institution as a basis for the fictional school in her novels, which were then adapted into the hugely famous TV series.
She told The Sunday Times Magazine: ‘My parents were both in finance and I was raised on the Upper East Side and educated in Manhattan — I did the whole Gossip Girl thing.’
The life of the former Tory candidate’s wife is far from the world of sport as she now works in financial services.
She said: ‘I followed in my parents’ footsteps and went into finance, as a salesperson on the New York Stock Exchange.’
The Olympian, 53, tied the knot with his second wife, who is 14 years his junior, in 2021 after the pair met as mature students at Cambridge University (pictured in 2019)
James separated from ex-wife Beverley Turner, 52, after the pair’s nine-year struggle following his crippling brain injury in a lorry crash, which she had nursed the sports star back to health from (pictured in 2017)
‘My first job was cold-calling people, which definitely stood me in good stead for helping James canvass in Colchester. I had plenty of doors slammed in my face.’
The New Yorker has even found the time to publish a children’s book and release a song called Gordon Gekko.
Meanwhile her brother William Connell is no stranger to the spotlight as he is an actor who starred in the Broadway production of Othello with Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal.
James separated from ex-wife Beverley Turner, 52, after the pair’s nine-year struggle following his crippling brain injury in a lorry crash, which she had nursed the sports star back to health from.
He added the injury had ‘completely changed my personality. I was terrible to live with — frustrated and short-tempered’, which ultimately proved to be very ‘difficult’ for Beverley and his children.
The GB news presenter previously shared to social media how she had mixed emotions about the pair’s wedding.
She said: ‘I’m happier now than I have been for many years and I know James is happier now than he has been for many years – and a big part of that is Jordan, his wife. But it also made me quite pensive and I couldn’t quite work out why.’
Jordan recalled how she is grateful they are able to be ‘civil’ as she cherishes the time spent with James and Beverley’s three children; son Croyde, 21, and daughters Kiki, 16, and Trixie, 14.
At the time of James and Jordan’s wedding Beverley took to Twitter to share a picture with her boyfriend James Pritchett, 36, as they offered their congratulations to her ex
The rowing champion is father to son Croyde, 21, and daughters Kiki, 16, and Trixie, 14.who he shares with his ex-wife Beverley (pictured)
James meanwhile admitted in the joint interview ‘I don’t see them enough’ as he revealed he does not wish to have anymore children.
At the time of the pair’s nuptials James gushed about his wedding to Jordan and shared a romantic photo of their special day.
Showing off his dapper grey wedding suit, Olympian James looked lovingly into his new wife’s eyes while resting against a beautiful balcony, while New Yorker Jordan met her new husband’s gaze and looked beautiful in a stunning lace gown.
Jordan also posted snaps of their wedding day on social media, simply captioning the photographs: ‘We got married!’
