Strictly Come Dancing 2019 confirms Will Bayley is 10th celeb to join line-up

Table-tennis champion Will Bayley has been confirmed as the 10th celebrity to join the Strictly Come Dancing 2019 line-up.

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In January 2017, Bayley was awarded an MBE for services to Table Tennis and is currently training to defend his Paralympic title at the Tokyo 2020 games.

The Paralympian, 31, won gold in the sport in the 2016 Rio Olympics – but despite being number one in the world at his sport, he admits he’s unlikely to recreate his success on the Strictly dance floor.

“I have never, ever danced in my life,” he told Julia Hartley-Brewer on TalkRADIO. “Apart from in clubs where my friends have told me to stop dancing in the club because I’m awful, so it’s going to be tough.”

London 2012 ✅ Rio 2016 ✅
Strictly 2019 ✅ Will Bayley MBE @WillBayleytt, Gold-Medal winning Paralympian joins our line-up ????https://t.co/vNRTXnXAqx pic.twitter.com/97LErakrO6

— BBC Strictly ✨ (@bbcstrictly) August 5, 2019

Despite this, Bayley is determined to work hard and do his partner proud.

“I’ll work really hard, but I need someone to be honest, I just want someone to tell me if I’m rubbish!” he joked.

And it seems Bayley already has his eye on which judge he thinks he’s going to impress.

“I think Bruno is going to like me!” he said.

But most importantly, Bayley just wants to make his mum proud, with Strictly being his family’s “favourite show”. He said: “I want to prove to people I can do this.”

He joins footballer David James, comedian Chris Ramsey, EastEnders actress Emma Barton, social media star Saffron Barker, actress Catherine Tyldesley, BBC Breakfast’s Mike Bushell, CBBC presenter Karim Zeroual, Viscountess Emma Weymouth and RuPaul Drag Race’s Michelle Visage.

Strictly Come Dancing is due to launch later this year on BBC 1