Wet Wet Wet announce Liberty X star Kevin Simm as new frontman

Wet Wet Wet have announced Kevin Simm of Liberty X fame as their new frontman.

The Scottish band, who are best-known for their 1994 cover of The Troggs' 1960s hit Love Is All Around, revealed the change in line-up on Tuesday.

Simm, 38, who won The Voice in 2016, will take over singing duties after founding member Marti Pellow left the band last year.

Simm, from Lancashire, first shot to fame on ITV talent show Popstars in 2001 after forming the group Liberty X with four other runner-up contestants.

He has recalled singing Wet Wet Wet's songs early in his career.

He said: "I was really taken aback, the opportunity to join a band with such amazing songs and great guys and a great fanbase really excites me.

"When I first started gigging around the pubs and clubs up North, two songs that were always in my set were Goodnight Girl and Love Is All Around."

He added in a tweet that the news was "slightly surreal".

"Along with my love for the songs, I became obviously a huge admirer of Marti Pellow and his amazing voice and have huge respect for the past of the band and what they achieved."

Wet Wet Wetwho has sold 15 million records worldwide and spent 15 weeks at the top of the charts with Love Is All Around.

They were also named Best British Newcomer at the 1988 Brit Awards.

Members Graeme Clark, Tommy Cunningham and Neil Mitchell are looking forward to writing new material with Simm.

Clark said: "What's really exciting me is how this is going to manifest itself going forward, we're going to go out and do dates, and after that, we'll write some songs."

Wet Wet Wet are set to play shows in London and Glasgow from 16 November.