Tyler West has been unveiled as the seventh celebrity contestant to take part in this year’s Strictly Come Dancing.
The KISS FM DJ broke the news on the station’s breakfast show hosted by Jordan Banjo and Perri Kiely on Monday.
He announced in a statement: “I am so stoked to be joining the Strictly family! I’m already cramping as I start writing this. It’s going to be a crazy amazing ride that will no doubt be SO out of my comfort zone.”
New star: Tyler West has been unveiled as the seventh celebrity contestant to take part in this year’s Strictly Come Dancing
He continued: “This is a show that means so much to me and my family and I can’t wait to seriously shake a leg on that shiny dance floor… with a side of sequins.”
Tyler is best known for hosting weekday afternoons on KISS, for which he was nominated for the prestigious ARIA Award for Best New Presenter in 2020.
Having started his career in children’s television, presenting various programs on CBBC, he has hosted MTV News, HQ Trivia and the live red carpet show at the EE BAFTA Awards 2020.
Last year he launched his first series on BBC Three, hosting Flat out Fabulous, as well as becoming the host of The MTV Movie Show.
New gig: KISS FM DJ broke the news on the station’s breakfast show hosted by Jordan Banjo and Perri Kiely on Monday
It comes after Ellie Simmonds was announced as the sixth celebrity contestant on Sunday.
The 27-year-old Paralympic swimmer, who has a type of dwarfism called achondroplasia and is 4ft tall, is the first with the genetic condition to appear on the show.
Ellie will join already announced stars Kim Marsh, Will Mellor, Richie Anderson and Jade Adams in series 20 later this year.
Speaking after the announcement on BBC 5 Live Sunday Breakfast, the sportsman said: “Oh my God!! I am literally bursting with excitement!!
“It was so hard to keep this secret as I wanted to tell everyone. I’m going on Strictly Come Dancing!! I’m a little nervous too, more than a little… I’m just petrified!
Line-up: Ellie Simmonds has been announced as the sixth celebrity contestant to take part in this year’s Strictly Come Dancing
“Being asked to be part of the Strictly family is so exciting and I can’t wait, it’s going to be so much fun. I count the minutes until the start; learning to dance, meeting my partner and everyone else on the show.
“Plus wearing sequins and all that, it’s going to be awesome. I’ve been watching Strictly for as long as I can remember; it’s a traditional holiday before Christmas with my family and it’s a real privilege to be a part of it.
She added to The Mirror: “I’m going to be so, so nervous and I’m going to try not to think about all the people watching,” said Ellie, who attended the Commonwealth Games yesterday.
My family and friends will support me and help me stay grounded.
“I’m the first dwarf to do the show, I’m going to show how positive it is that being different is OK. It’s a real honor.
New venture: The 27-year-old Paralympic swimmer will join already-announced stars Kim Marsh, Will Mellor, Richie Anderson and Jade Adams in Series 20 later this year (pictured at the London 2012 Paralympics)
Ellie is best known as a gold medal-winning Paralympic swimmer. At the age of thirteen, she was the youngest British athlete at the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing and won gold medals in the 100m and 400m freestyle events.
In 2012, she won gold in the 400m freestyle and 200m individual medley at the London Summer Paralympics and won another gold in the 200m individual medley at Rio 2016.
In addition, she also won ten gold titles from the World Championships.
At the age of 13, she won the BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year and a year later, aged just 14, she became the youngest person ever to receive an MBE.
Ellie said: “I’m going to Strictly Come Dancing!! And I’m a little nervous, more than a little… I’m just petrified!” (pictured with Kelly Holmes in August 2022)
She was promoted to OBE in the 2013 New Year Honors for services to Paralympic sport.
After retiring from competitive swimming in 2020, Ellie continued to present for BBC Sport, most recently for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, as well as making documentaries such as Ellie Simmonds: A World Without Dwarfism? for BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
She will explore disability and adoption in a recently announced ITV film.
Success: Ellie is best known as a gold medal-winning Paralympic swimmer. At thirteen, she was the youngest British athlete at the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing and won gold medals in the 100m and 400m freestyle events
It comes after Jayde Adams was announced as the fifth contestant to sign up for Strictly Come Dancing 2022.
The 37-year-old comedian and actress said keeping the secret under wraps was like “torture” but that she is a “huge fan” of the series, joking that being on the beloved show was her main career goal.
She said: “Since watching the first series in 2004, I feel like every step I’ve taken in my career over the last 11 years was meant to be on Strictly.
“I can’t begin to express the emotions I feel, this means so much to me and my family. I’ve always watched it, apart from a brief hiatus in 2011 when I relentlessly gigged every weekend (to try and get on Strictly).
“I’ve been a huge fan of the show for years. I feel like I’m being watched in a dream and I can’t believe I manifested this.
She added: “Holding it in was torture for me!”
Big fan: Jayde Adams announced as fifth contestant to sign up for Strictly Come Dancing 2022
Best known as a comedian, Jade has won several comedy awards and was nominated for the coveted Best Newcomer with her debut stand-up hour at the Edinburgh Fringe.
The news was revealed on Saturday morning on BBC Radio 5 Live by Scott Mills and Chris Stark.
Kaye Adams was revealed as the fourth contestant in the series, making the exciting announcement live on Friday’s Loose Women on ITV.
Kay stunned fellow panellists Denise Welch, Carol McGiffin and Sunetra Sarkar – as well as Nadia Savalha, who appeared via video link – with the news towards the end of the show, with the studio welcoming a host of dancers.
It’s official! Kay Adams has been announced as the fourth contestant to sign up for Strictly Come Dancing 2022
While those in the studio were excited by the announcement, Nadia was left visibly shocked and emotional, telling her friend: ‘Is that really you?! My God. I could cry!’
“It’s amazing that you can do it because let’s face it, you can’t dance, but that’s what we love to see on Strictly – someone learning to dance. You will be amazing, you are so funny, you have the best legs in the business. I can’t wait to get home and play with you!”
Revealing how she feels about taking part, Kay admitted: “I am! I’m absolutely terrified because I can’t dance. I can think of a million reasons not to do this.
The journalist continued: “When these wonderful dancers came on, I almost came out of both ends of my body, to be honest. Sorry about that!
Surprise! The Scottish TV star, 59, made the exciting announcement live on Friday’s Loose Women on ITV after keeping it a secret from her co-stars
“But I thought, ‘Am I going to think at the end of September that I wish I had done this.’ I’m 59, 60 at the end of this year, and I thought, “Well, why not?”
“I’m a really competitive person and Nadia, you know that’s true, but that’s not what I’m into. If I am having fun, I will be so happy.
She added that her daughters weren’t too worried about the new thing, as they just told her, “Okay, mom.”
Kay follows in the footsteps of fellow Loose Women stars Judy Love, Ruth Langsford and Christine Lampard, who have all appeared on Strictly.
The secret is revealed! Kay stunned fellow panelists Denise Welch, Carol McGiffin and Sunetra Sarker – as well as Nadia Savala, who appeared via video link – with the news, with the studio welcoming a host of dancers
Meanwhile, BBC Radio 2 DJ Richie Anderson, 34, revealed he will be joining the 2022 series during his radio show on Friday and joins Coronation Street stars Will Mellor and Kim Marsh in the current line-up.
The former Sunday League footballer – who went viral in 2018 when he came out as gay to his Coombs Wood FC teammates in an emotional documentary – said it was a “huge honour” to be part of the all-male partnership on the show.
He said in a statement: “This is a dream come true! I can’t wait to slip into those sparkles and sequins and shine on the world’s most famous dance floor! Strictly is the ultimate feeling show, as soon as I hear that iconic theme tune it’s just an escape from reality.
“I’m going to have to cancel my legendary ‘Strictly’ kitchen party every year, I’m sure my friends and family will understand.”
He added: “It’s also a huge honor to be part of an all-male dance partnership, it’s so important to have that inclusion in such a huge show.”
Thrilled: Former Sunday League footballer said it was a ‘huge honour’ to be part of the show’s all-male partnership
Last year’s series saw Great Britain’s Bake Off star Jon Waite form the show’s first all-male partnership with professional Johannes Radebe – with the pair reaching the final.
A year earlier, we saw the show’s first ever same-sex pairing, with boxer Nicola Adams paired with Katya Jones – however the duo had to pull out of the competition in week three after Katya caught Covid.
In 2018, Richie came out as gay to his Sunday Football League team-mates during a feature on The One Show exploring homophobia in sport.
The team knew Ritchie was filming material for BBC One’s daily programme, but it wasn’t until he sat them down in the dressing room after the game that they discovered he was addressing the issues surrounding being gay in mainstream football.
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