Adam Peaty is one of the 15 contestants in this year’s Strictly Come Dancing line-up.
Olympic swimmer Adam Peaty has swapped the pool for the ballroom this year, as he joins the 19th series of Strictly Come Dancing.
He’ll compete against the other 14 contestants in the Strictly Come Dancing 2021 line-up, including presenter AJ Odudu, McFly’s Tom Fletcher, rugby player Ugo Monye and actress Rose Ayling-Ellis, who is the first deaf contestant to take part on the show.
They’ll be partnered with one of the Strictly Come Dancing professionals at the launch show, which will air on Saturday, 18th September.
The live shows will follow the week after with the Strictly Come Dancing judges scoring and giving their verdict on the dances.
When it comes to the judging panel, Craig Revel Horwood in particular is known for his harsh commentary.
While this isn’t something that worries Peaty, he’s admitted he won’t be very “happy” if he scores low in the BBC One dance competition.
Speaking to press including RadioTimes.com, he said: “I can take criticism, but if I think it’s a good dance and I’ve put my heart and soul into it, hours and hours of training, and a lot of hard work, and then someone says its a three or four, well I’m not going to be happy am I? But again, that’s the game.”
So, does the swimmer rate himself as a dancer?
“I guess so! You might as well rate yourself,” he explained. “I think when it comes to professional dancing, it’s very different, but we’ll see.
“I think people are expecting me to work hard and train hard, which I do, I really like training hard, but I think because I’ve won pretty much every competition, but going into this is going to be completely different. I have no idea.”
Asked whether he thinks his swimming background will help or hinder his dancing skills, the 26-year-old said: “Hinder, because I’m used to being in the water. I’m not used to being on land, but again, my hips are hopefully going to be a bit a fluid!”
Strictly Come Dancing starts on BBC One on Saturday 18th September. Want something else to watch? Check out our full TV Guide or visit our Entertainment hub for the latest news.