Former shadow chancellor Ed Balls is the first of the celebrity line up to be named as a contestant in this year's Strictly Come Dancing.

The ex-politician is the first name to be officially revealed for the hit ballroom dancing show.

The 49-year-old told Chris Evans on his Radio 2 breakfast show that he was "scared to death". Mr Balls lost his Morley and Outwood seat in May last year in one of the greatest casualties of the 2015 election.

He said appearing on the BBC1 show was a "dream come true" but admitted he thought that life in politics was "much easier than this is going

to be".

Mr Balls said his wife, Yvette Cooper, who is still a Labour MP, supported his decision to join the show. And he said he just hoped that he would get through the first two weeks.

Other ex-politicians who have appeared in the ballroom show include Edwina Currie and Ann Widdecombe.

Head judge Len Goodman has previously announced the next series of Strictly will be his last and ITV is launching a new big-budget rival to the BBC hit, set to launch in 2017.

Who would you like to see in the 2016 Strictly line up ?