Three-time Olympic champion Adam Peaty will look to add the glitterball trophy to his hefty collection of gold medals when he appears on the BBC's Strictly Come Dancing later this year.
Peaty made history at Tokyo 2020 by becoming the first British swimmer to defend an Olympic title when he powered to victory in the Men's 100m Breaststroke. That preceded another gold - and a world record - in the inaugural Mixed 4x100m Medley Relay, alongside Kathleen Dawson, James Guy and Anna Hopkin, before he teamed up with Luke Greenbank, Guy and Duncan Scott to claim Men's 4x100m Medley Relay silver and ensure Team GB's best-ever performance in the Olympic pool.
But the Loughborough National Centre athlete is now set to swap the call room for the ballroom as one of 14 celebrity contestants lined up for the 2021 series, which gets underway in September.
"I think this will come as a surprise to a lot of people, but I'm so excited to finally share the news that I’ll be joining Strictly this year," he said when the announcement was confirmed on Friday (13th August).
Well I’ve been waiting along time to say this but I’m going on @bbcstrictly 😅😅😅 I actually can’t believe I’m taking these legs out of the pool and onto the dance floor! Who’s excited?! pic.twitter.com/gZZdKQY0qS
— Adam Peaty MBE (@adam_peaty) August 13, 2021
"I'm really looking forward to doing something totally different and challenging myself away from the pool. I'm hoping my competitive nature is going to compensate for my dancing abilities!"
If the show follows the same format as recent years, Adam will discover who his professional dancing partner will be on the launch show. Other celebrities set to take to the Strictly dancefloor include sport and BBC Breakfast presenter Dan Walker, Coronation Street and Hollyoaks star Katie McGlynn, comedian Judi Love and comedy actor and writer Robert Webb.
Mark Foster, six-time world champion and five-time Olympian, competed in Strictly back in 2008 after competing at the Olympics in Beijing.