Daniel O’Donnell lined up for Strictly Come Dancing

He’s been confirmed as the eighth celebrity on the series which airs in September.

“Earlier this year, I decided to take a short break from touring and told myself that I would only consider doing something if it was both different and exciting.

“Well, what could be more exciting than Strictly Come Dancing? I love to dance and boy am I looking forward to getting started and being the best that I can be,” said Daniel.

That’s what they invented dancing for.

Daniel first rose to public attention in 1983 and has since become a household name in Ireland and the UK; he has also had considerable success in the US and Australia. In 2012, he became the first artist to have a different album in the British charts every year for 25 consecutive years.

Daniel is known for his close relationship with his fan base, and his charismatic and engaging stage presence. His music has been described as a mix of country and Irish folk, and he has sold over 15 million albums.

Daniel has had 20 UK Top 40 albums as well as 15 Top 40 singles and has sold 10 million records to date. He garnered considerable success in North America, and has charted 18 albums in the Top 20 of the United States Billboard’s World Music Album Chart, and also has had several entries in the Independent Albums Chart too.

More celebrity contestants for the new series of Strictly Come Dancing will be announced in due course.

Daniel joins Jeremy Vine, Ainsley Harriott, Kellie Bright, Georgia May Foote, Katie Derham, Carol Kirkwood and Peter Andre, who have already been announced as celebrity contestants appearing in Strictly Come Dancing this year.

Strictly Come Dancing returns to BBC One for its 13th series in September 2015.