Shayne Ward has revealed he and fiancée Sophie Austin were planning to marry this year - but cancelled after he landed a role on Strictly.
The former X Factor winner, 39, has been engaged to Hollyoaks actress Sophie since 2017 and they have children Willow, eight and Reign, two together. But Shayne said luckily bride-to-be Sophie was fully in support of pushing their wedding back - as she was the one who put him forward for the ballroom show after years of telling him he should do it.
Asked about the couple's wedding plans, Shayne said: “It'll be happening. Sophie and I were actually looking at the end of this year, but we couldn't because this incredible show happened. Strictly came along, and so we had to put the wedding on hold. I've joked that maybe we could do both together, and get married after the results show. But we have plenty of time.
"It was actually Sophie who put me forward for the show. For many years she's talked about Strictly, she loves, loves the show, so every year the music would come on and she'd whisper: 'You'd be good at this.' She always had that belief in me, she'd say: 'I just think you'd really enjoy it, and I want people to see you.' This year she said to me: 'Can I please put your name forward?' and I said: 'Yeah' because it felt like the right time. So she did, and now I'm so happy I said yes because it's one of the best things I've ever done."
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Shayne, who impressed with his tango to The Door by Teddy Swims this week, exploded onto Strictly last week with a Samba routine. And while the majority of the comments he received afterwards were supportive - he admitted being upset by trolls who branded him “cocky” and “arrogant” online. As the pile-in continued, others criticised him for growing out his shaved head and appearing with curls. But Shayne insisted he wouldn’t let the remarks get him down.
He said: “For me, I try to only focus on the positive, because if you focus on the negative you wouldn't last long. I wouldn't be here if I focused on the minority of people who say something horrible. I just leave them to it, because I know that I'm not those things, and I'm lucky that I've got incredible people around me. If the comments do upset me, they upset me because I have two children, and it's not just about me. But at the end of the day, all I'm doing is dancing, and trying my best. And I'm very happy I have a good head of hair.
"My son's hair is exactly the same - that's why I have it like this. When his hair suddenly became all curly and long, I thought: 'They're my curls' and I embraced it and grew mine longer. So when people comment, that's fine. This experience is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and it goes so quickly that you have to enjoy it. I don't want to get sidetracked by negativity - I just want to have the best time and give this show, and Nancy, my all."
Partner Nancy Xu said: "From day one, I knew Shayne was going to be very special. He has a notebook, and is constantly writing notes about things he needs to work on. I'm mind blown by the details he is asking me about, so he can give the show his best. I worry because I want him to enjoy it, but then he tells me that he is enjoying it and wants to work hard. I just think this is really kind and nice, and also shows a real respect for me as a person."
Shayne went on: “I am always practising, always dancing at home. Sophie will see me go off for a minute and know I'm going through the moves in my head. And she will say to me: 'Ok chill for a minute.' And then I can hear Nancy in my head saying: 'Chill, you've got this, relax."
He might need help switching off, but Shayne says the one place he doesn’t struggle is with his kids. And he told how Strictly isn’t the only competition his family is taking on this year - as daughter Willow is also competing in a dance contest. He said: "What's so beautiful is that Willow's dance school asked her to be part of a competition and perform with them, so not only is she going to be supporting me with a banner at home, I'm going to be making a banner for her. I'm going to be in the front row at her competition, shouting: 'Go team Willow.'
"She has been so sweet since I started the show, she's just so proud of daddy, she says: 'Daddy looks so handsome, daddy can really dance.' "Last night on It Takes Two, Janette gave me a Strictly paddle with a 10, so she'll be watching daddy with that." He went on: "I am excited about people seeing me as I am now on the show. It will be 20 years next year since I did X Factor, and since then I've been blessed with so many personal and professional opportunities.
"I have two incredible children, and now everything I do is for them. For me, it's nice that people who have followed my career get to see the family man I am now, but also that I haven't changed. I'm pretty much the same man I was back in 2004, just now with more toys to fall over."
Strictly Come Dancing returns tonight at 6.15pm on BBC1 and BBC iPlayer
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