He may be lesser known to UK audiences – but, believe us, we’re all about to fall a little bit in love with Jason Bell. After all, the former American football player isn’t just giddy with excitement about his star turn on Strictly Come Dancing, he’s also more than happy to indulge all our hopes of seeing a fit man in sequins shimmy it for the cameras (hey, it’s been a long lockdown. We need this.)
But rest assured, we’re pretty sure there’s only one lady – OK, two – that Jason’s really dancing for…his ex-fiancée Nadine Coyle and their gorgeous six-year-old daughter Anaiya. The former couple dated on/off for 11 years, before calling it quits in 2019 – but speaking to heat, Jason, 42, hints their romance might just be due an encore.
Asked if daughter Anaiya is excited to see him bust out some moves, Jason told us, "She’s so excited, she’s a little performer herself, so this is something she can totally identify with and thinks is fabulous. But she is a tough critic.
"I’m all about impressing her – she’s got a real cool, laid back demeanour like her mother so I’ve got to come with the good stuff."
Opening up about the advice Nadine's given him, Jason added, "At the beginning, I was asking her what the tricks were for learning routines – she’s done it for a long time, so her telling me how to do it was very comforting.
"And she knows me better than anybody, so she can explain it to me in a way she knows is good for me."
Check out: the full Strictly 2020 line-up
2020 Strictly Come Dancing official line-up
1 of 12Caroline Quentin
Actress Caroline Quentin will take part in the 2020 series. She's most famous for roles in popular shows such as Men Behaving Badly and Jonathan Creek.
2 of 12Max George
Former The Wanted star Max George will be hoping he can follow in the footsteps of his band mate Jay McGuiness, after Jay won the show back in 2015.
3 of 12Jason Bell
Former American footballer Jason Bell will be showing off his moves on the dance floor! He's also the ex-boyfriend of Girls Aloud singer Nadine Coyle.
4 of 12Ranvir Singh
Good Morning Britain presenter will be mixing early morning and grueling rehearsals as she's signed up for the 2020 series.
5 of 12Nicola Adams OBE
Olympic boxing champion Nicola Adams will make history on the show as she's set to be part of the first ever same-sex pairing on Strictly Come Dancing.
6 of 12Clara Amfo
Radio and TV presenter Clara Amfo has also been confirmed for the 2020 line-up!
7 of 12Bill Bailey
Comedian Bill Bailey revealed he decided to take part in the show for a new 'challenge', admitting his late mum would have loved watching him on the show.
8 of 12JJ Chalmers
Scottish TV presenter JJ Chalmers has also joined the line-up! The former Royal Marine is best known for being a public speaker and an Invictus Games medallist. JJ suffered some life-changing injuries in a bomb blast in Afghanistan in 2011.
9 of 12Jamie Laing
After being forced to quit the show in 2019 due to injury, Made In Chelsea star Jamie Laing is back to show off his moves in 2020!
10 of 12Maisie Smith
EastEnders actress Maisie Smith, who plays the role of Tiffany Butcher on the BBC soap, has also been announced in the line-up.
11 of 12HRVY
Pop star HRVY, real name Harvey Leigh Cantwell, is the 11th celebrity to join the line-up.
12 of 12Jacqui Smith
The line-up is completed by former Home Secretary Jacqui Smith.
So, what's the secret to Jason's friendship with Nadine?
"I love her," he gushed. "I love who she is as a person, always have and always will. The thing about Nadine is that, if you watch her and see how she cares about her daughter and the people she loves, it’s infectious."
Asked if there's any chance the pair could rekindle their relationship, Jason teased, "A lot of people want a lot of things, so you never know.
Oh, please tell us he's not going to end up finding love elsewhere. We ship it so hard.
"No, not for me," he confirmed. "I’ve got two women in my life who take up all my time, and one of them is six years old."
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Can we expect to see Jason performing a bit of Love Machine on the dancefloor, then?
"I don’t know, I’m going week to week," he said. "Anything can happen. I’m a big fan of Girls Aloud. I’ve heard their lead singer is amazing."