Adam Peaty has been announced as the 13th celebrity competing on this year’s series of Strictly Come Dancing.
The Olympic swimmer’s involvement in the hit dance show was announced during Friday’s Newsbeat on Radio 1.
After being announced as the latest star to take to the dance floor on this year’s series, Adam admitted he was “bricking it”.
Adam said: “I think this will come as a surprise to a lot of people, but I’m so excited to finally share the news that I’ll be joining Strictly this year.
“I’m really looking forward to doing something totally different and challenging myself away from the pool. I’m hoping my competitive nature is going to compensate for my dancing abilities!”
Adam is one of the biggest names in world swimming and was one of the standout stars of this year’s Olympics, where he made history by becoming the first British swimmer to defend an Olympic title after claiming gold at the Rio 2016 Olympics and Tokyo 2020 in the Men’s 100m Breaststroke.
As well as his three gold and two silver Olympic medals, he is an eight-time World Champion, a sixteen-time European Champion and a three-time Commonwealth Champion. The holder of the world record in 50 metre and 100 metre breaststroke events, Adam was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2017 New Year Honours for services to swimming.
The first five Strictly stars taking part in this year’s series were unveiled last week, with McFly singer Tom Fletcher, comic actor Robert Webb and TV presenter AJ Odudu the first three to be confirmed.
Joining them on the show will be CBBC star Rhys Stephenson and Bake Off favourite John Whaite, who will make Strictly history as one half of the show’s first-ever all-male partnership.
Since then, Dragon’s Den star Sara Davies, soap actor Katie McGlynn and BBC Breakfast host Dan Walker have also been confirmed for the upcoming series.
Also competing will be TikTok star and chef Tilly Ramsay, perhaps best known as the daughter of Gordon Ramsay, as well as Greg Wise, whose acting credits include Sense & Sensibility and The Crown.
Finally, two EastEnders stars have also joined this year’s line-up after former cast member Nina Wadia was announced, while Rose Ayling-Ellis who plays Frankie Lewis in the BBC soap, will make history as the first deaf contestant to take part on Strictly.
Strictly Come Dancing will return to our screens in the autumn.