Shayne Ward credits Strictly Come Dancing for unexpected height boost

Shayne Ward has been feeling on top of the world, quite literally, as he believes his stint on has added inches to his stature.

The star credits his dance partner for his improved posture and consequent height gain. The 39-year-old , who rose to fame as the winner of the second series of The , said: "I'm constantly being told to keep my frame up. It's already better than it used to be."

He added: "Nancy always notices that I look a little bit taller every time she sees me. That means my posture is getting better. The only way is up."

In the gruelling of dance rehearsals, Shayne is pushing himself to the limit. He told the : "It's constant cardio. My body is being put through its paces. I'm using my body in a way I never thought I could. It's hard."

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Despite his impressive progress on Strictly, some fans have taken to social media to label him "smug" suggesting his pop background gives him an unfair edge. However, Shayne stands firm on the challenge Strictly presents, regardless of his industry experience. He explained: "It doesn't matter how long I have been part of the industry, this is a completely new experience for me.

"It's scary. I'm a novice dancer. I might have danced here and there... I dance with my kids and I did a music video years ago. But they're just little bits. Strictly is a completely different world. I'm doing the best that I can and that's all I can do."

It comes after Shayne revealed that he and his partner, star Sophie Austin, so that he could compete on Strictly. The former Corrie star revealed: "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?'"

Shayne has been engaged to Hollyoaks actress Sophie, the mum of his two children Willow and Reign, since 2017. On wedding plans, he said: "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."

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