Strictly Come Dancing 2018: New contestant Ashley Roberts CONFIRMED prematurely on Chris Evans Breakfast Show

Former Pussycat Doll Ashley Roberts has been confirmed for Strictly Come Dancing, after Chris Evans announced the news prematurely on his BBC Radio 2 Breakfast Show.

Evans, 42, was scheduled to unveil Roberts after 8am but gave the game away as he teased viewers with her identity.

“We’re more loyal to our listeners,” he joked. “So there you go, don’t tell anyone, the big reveal is coming up after 8. You can’t get too much publicity, can you?”

Roberts, who also presented Saturday Night Takeaway with Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly, joked that she was angry at Evans for slipping up as she had woken up early to join him on the show.

“En route to speak with @ChrisEvans Heard ya mentioned my name already,” she tweeted. “Why did I have to get up so early?!?”

The official Strictly Twitter account confirmed the news posting a picture of Roberts alongside the caption: “When I grow up I wanna be famous, I wanna be a star, I wanna be on #Strictly – what Ashley Roberts was (probably) singing before joining our 2018 line-up, right @ImAshleyRoberts?”

She is the ninth celebrity to join this year’s BBC ballroom show which will see a new batch of famous faces paired up with professional dancers in a bid to reach the final and take home the coveted glitter ball trophy.

TV personality Katie Piper was the first name to be announced on BBC Breakfast on Monday.

Former Steps singer Faye Tozer and Red Dwarf actor Danny John-Jules were then unveiled on The One Show the following evening.

YouTube vlogger Joe Sugg was announced on the Radio One Breakfast Show followed by Capital FM DJ Vick Hope, cricketer Graeme Swann, This Morning's Dr Ranj Singh and documentary star Stacey Dooley.

The contestants for series 16 are all disguised under cheesy code names, as revealed by hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman on the official Twitter yesterday.

Strictly Come Dancing returns to BBC One later this year