Former JLS star Aston Merrygold has been revealed as the eighth contestant in the new series of Strictly Come Dancing.
Merrygold was revealed as the latest celebrity dancer on the Scott Mills Show on BBC Radio 1 on Monday. Mills is a former Strictly contestant himself, having taken part in the series in 2014.
Popstar to dance sensation? JLS singer @AstonMerrygold is celebrity number eight for #Strictly 2017! https://t.co/eiMJX5QqXe 🕺🏾✨🎤 pic.twitter.com/QsjjuEQWtk
— BBC Strictly✨ (@bbcstrictly) August 14, 2017
"I can't wait. I'm very, very excited," said onetime boyband heartthrob Merrygold.
"The aim's to win."
When asked which professional dancer he wanted to be paired with, backflipper extraordinaire Merrygold replied: "I just want the shortest dancer, because I'm not the tallest bloke."
Always good to see @scott_mills and @Chris_Stark, and all the @BBCR1 lot, thanks for having me! Strictly ready @bbcstrictly 🔥🕺🏽
— AM (@AstonMerrygold) August 14, 2017
The news that the 29-year-old is joining the show follows the weekend announcements that Sunday Brunch's Simon Rimmer and Holby City star Joe McFadden are taking to the dancefloor.
Former Communards star the Reverend Richard Coles, Emmerdale's Gemma Atkinson, EastEnders' Davood Ghadami, presenter Ruth Langsford and former Saturdays star Mollie King are also in this year's line-up, with more names to be announced in the coming days.
In a pop tie-in, Merrygold's former JLS bandmate Marvin Humes is married to the Saturdays' Rochelle Wiseman. The Saturdays' Frankie Bridge took part in Strictly in 2014, finishing as runner-up.
Strictly Come Dancing is back on BBC One next month.
