Strictly Come Dancing hopeful Jason Bell has said the support of his ex-girlfriend Nadine Coyle and their daughter is “key” for his time on the show.
The 42-year-old revealed he had asked the Girls Aloud star, 35, for advice as he gets ready to take to the dancefloor for the latest series of the BBC dance competition.
The pair were together for 11 years and were engaged at one point, but recently split – and seem to still be on good terms.
Discussing what tips Coyle gave him, Bell told press: “Yes, we’ve talked about it. We’ve talked about how – it really is a timing thing.
“I said, ‘Do I have enough time during the week to get these routines down?’.
“She’s done it her whole life, she’s like, ‘You’ve really got to lock in and be focused and I’ll help you and I’ll give you some tips and some tricks’. So I got a couple.”
The former American football player and BBC pundit said both Coyle and their daughter, six-year-old Anaiya, have been “supportive” of his decision to appear on Strictly.
Strictly Come Dancing 2020 Contestants - In pictures
“They’re as excited as I am. I mean, they talk about it daily,” he said.
“Sometimes I’m just like, hey, let me just calm my nerves a little bit now.
“My daughter, she asked me about it last night, talking about how she was going to behave and how nervous she was going to be.
“So, having their support is the key.
“And, really, just going out there and wanting to represent them well, you know? They mean so much to me.”
Bell is joined by actor Caroline Quentin, comedian Bill Bailey and Olympic boxer Nicola Adams among others for the new series of Strictly.
The show, which launches this Saturday, is having a shorter run this year after the series was delayed due to the ongoing coronavirus crisis.
This year’s Strictly Come Dancing series will return on Saturday, October 17 on BBC One.
Additional reporting by PA
