John Whaite has joked he was “wearing glitter in the womb” and is shaving his chest “more than I ever did” ahead of his Strictly Come Dancing debut.
The Great British Bake Off star will be part of the first male same-sex couple when he takes to the dancefloor, and said he wants to be in peak physical condition for the competition.
He said: “I’m doing a bit more cardio. I’ve done weightlifting now for years, and I’ve really got into bodybuilding in the past 18 months.
“So I’ve now started to incorporate more stretching and cardio into my routine, and I have been watching what I eat as I want to get more lean.
“I am also shaving my chest, a lot more than I ever did!”
The TV baker said he is no stranger to dance but is not sure how he will fare in the ballroom, saying: “Between the ages of 10-14, I did ballet, modern and tap.
“So I may have a few dancing bones in my body, but I’m not necessarily very good rhythmically. Ballet is very stiff and I can do a triple timestep but who knows what I will be like at Ballroom or Latin.”
He said he is now excited to get a makeover for the show, adding: “I am so excited to be ‘Strictly-fied’. I was wearing glitter in the womb.
“I am excited for the sheer tops, tight trousers, the spray tans, hair and makeup.
“It’s glamourous and over the top but it’s a Saturday night! dancing bones in my body, but I’m not necessarily very good rhythmically.
“Ballet is very stiff and I can do a triple timestep but who knows what I will be like at Ballroom or Latin.
“My biggest challenge will be to not be too hard on myself, I know that I will get really frustrated with myself if I’m not picking up the steps. I think the key thing is just to relax, take a breath, and come back to it.
“For me it’s going to be a case of just relaxing into it, being myself, believing that I can do it and just enjoying the process.”
Strictly Come Dancing returns to BBC One on September 18.