Aston Merrygold is the latest celebrity to join this year’s Strictly Come Dancing – and the 200th contestant in the show’s history.
The former JLS star told Scott Mills on his BBC Radio 1 programme that he is in it to win it, and that he will try to avoid doing backflips – a move he is known for – while on the dancefloor, because it could see him marked down.
He also said his previous dance experience as a boyband member will not be much help to him.
“It’s ballroom, and that is nothing to do with anything that I do,” Merrygold said.
He added, at the risk of disappointing his fans: “I’m trying not to get twos, so no flips.”
In an official statement, the singer said: “I’m so happy to be joining Strictly. It is such a brilliant show and I’ve followed it for years.
“I’m both nervous and excited to learn from the professionals about a whole new way of dancing!”
Merrygold, who shot to fame with JLS on The X Factor in 2008, is the 200th person to take part in Strictly since the series began in 2004.
The 200 contestants have included 62 actors, 48 TV/radio presenters and 34 sport stars, according to analysis by the Press Association.
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
Merrygold is one of 27 singers and musicians to take part in the show.
There have also been seven models, six chefs and three politicians – including the surprise hit of last year’s series, Ed Balls.
The PA’s figures include only those celebrities who have appeared as a contestant in the proper series, and doesn’t count people who took part in one-off specials for Children in Need or at Christmas.
Just over a third of contestants (35%) have been in their 30s – the biggest proportion for any age group. Nearly a quarter (22%) have been in their 40s, while 19% have been in their 20s.
Some 18 contestants (9% of the total) have taken part in Strictly while in their 60s. Just three contestants have been in their 70s: Johnny Ball, Paul Daniels and Lesley Joseph.
At the other end of the age range, the show has featured only two people in their teens: gymnast Claudia Fragapane and actor Louisa Lytton.
A comparison of the 200 contestants’ ethnicity shows that roughly four in five (81%) have been white.
Merrygold, the eighth confirmed star for the current series, joins a list of celebrities made up of Mollie King, Davood Ghadami, Ruth Langsford, Gemma Atkinson, Rev Richard Coles, Joe McFadden and Simon Rimmer.