Aston Merrygold is ready to 'win' Strictly with the 'shortest partner'

Strictly Come Dancing’s latest celebrity signing, Aston Merrygold, is hoping to nab the ‘shortest partner’ on the BBC ballroom contest, but says he’s in it ‘to win’.

The former JLS star was confirmed as the eighth famous name to be taking to the dance floor during an interview with BBC Radio One’s Scott Mills this afternoon and confessed that he needs a woman who won’t tower over him during the physical series.

The star – who stands at 1.65m – joked: ‘Honestly, I just want the shortest dancer! I’m not the tallest bloke. I’m not looking for an Amazonian Goddess.

He added: ‘The aim is to win, listen, anyone who tell syou they justwanted to enter to take part. Yeah everyone wants to take part but you see the winners, they last the whole time and they get a trophy.’

The 29-year-old singer also rubbished the notion that he’ll have a huge advantage over other celebrities taking part like chef Simon Rimmer, despite his boy-band background and dance training.

Aston said: ‘I’m very excited, it’s ballrom, it’s nothing to do with anything I do… I’m not going for a 2 though!’

Scott had teased throughout the radio show he would be revealing one of the contestants, leading viewers to speculate it would be one of the day’s guests, Martine McCutcheon, ‘EastEnders’ actor Lee Ryan or The Script frontman Danny O’Donoghue.

Aston joins actors Joe McFadden and Davood Ghadami, actress Gemma Atkinson, presenter Ruth Langsford, The Saturdays singer Mollie King, and Reverend Richard Coles in signing up for the show.

More names will be announced over the coming weeks, but the likes of former ‘X Factor’ stars, Alexandra Burke and Olly Murs, ex-‘EastEnders’ star Samantha Womack, ‘The Weakest Link’ host Anne Robinson, and singer Matt Goss have been rumoured to be taking part.

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