Former āStrictly Come Dancingā professional James Jordan has defended his position on the upcoming āDancing On Iceā line-up.
James was the third celebrity confirmed to be taking part in next yearās run of the ITV skating show on Tuesday morning, after Gemma Collins and Richard Blackwood announced their involvement earlier in the week.
Anticipating that some people might have something to say about his vast dance background, James said: āI can dance but Iām a lot older than I used to be.
āPeople are going to probably say Iāve got an unfair advantage but when I got on the ice I actually shocked myself how bad I was. I want to be able to impress Torvill and Dean more than anyone else, but Iām a lot worse than I thought Iād be.ā
His participation on the show was teased in a post on the showās Instagram account, when a concealed figure resembling the ballroom performer was shared on their page.
James is best known for his eight-year stint on āStrictlyā, during which time he danced with stars including Denise Van Outen, Vanessa Feltz and Pamela Stephenson, with whom he made it through to the live final.
His time on āStrictlyā was particularly controversial due to his repeated remarks against the show, which continued long after he parted ways with the programme.
Since then, he made it through to the final of āCelebrity Big Brotherā, and later returned two years later for an āAll Starsā series, while he and wife Ola Jordan took part in āLetās Sing And Dance For Comic Reliefā last year.
Former Westlife singer Brian McFadden was confirmed to be competing shortly after Jamesā announcement, joking: āIāve already been practising out the back garden on my rollerblades and my mum says Iām a one man Torvill and Dean.ā
The remaining eight contestants on the āDancing On Iceā line-up will be unveiled in the coming weeks, ahead of its return in January.
Earlier this year, Jake Quickenden was crowned āDancing On Iceā champion, beating stiff competition from āCoronation Streetā star Brooke Vincent and rugby star Max Evans.