Shayne Ward’s journey from X Factor audition to Coronation Street and now Strictly

Before his appearance on Strictly Come Dancing, Shayne Ward was famous for winning The X Factor and releasing his catchy Christmas number one, “That’s My Goal”.

Born in Manchester to parents who were Irish travellers, the 39-year-old spent the earlier part of his life in a band called Destiny performing in pubs, clubs, and weddings before his big break on the ITV show in 2005.

He was dropped by Simon Cowell’s label SyCo in 2011, before signing to an independent label in 2015, the same year he began appearing as Aidan Connor on Coronation Street. Aidan was introduced as a distant cousin of Kym Marsh’s character Michelle, who grew up on the same estate as knickers factory boss Carla Connor, played by Alison King.

He was praised for his sensitive portrayal of mental health and suicide in the show, with producers working with several mental health charities on his storylines.

A talent for acting shone through, earning Ward multiple awards including Best Newcomer at the NTAs and Best Storyline at the Soap Awards. But his performances didn’t stop there, as he’s since starred in a number of musicals and feature films including the West End production of Rock of Ages.

He’s currently the lead character in crime-drama series The Good Ship Murder on Channel 5. The show follows Ward as Jack Grayling, a former detective turned cabaret singer, who investigates a series of murders on board a Mediterranean cruise ship.

Ward revealed he’d be taking part in the popular dancing contest in an interview on Lorraine, alongside Miranda star Sarah Hadland. He describes his best dance move as a Dirty Dancing-inspired “jolly leg kick” influenced by Patrick Swayze.

“I’m buzzing to see all of the sparkles and magic that is Strictly in real life,” Ward told the BBC. “I’m no stranger to live TV, but dancing Latin and Ballroom in front of millions is a whole new level. No promises on my dancing ability, but I will give it my best shot!”

Explaining the reasons behind his decision to go on the show, he said: “Because my gut told me so, and I want to see the biggest smiles on my children’s faces.”

Ward is married to Hollyoaks actor Sophie Austin, and the couple share two children together. They started dating in 2016, the same year they announced they would be expecting their first child. They got engaged the year after. In 2022, they announced that they were expecting their second child.

The actor and singer believes he will bring “fun, energy, and focus” to the show. He has previously appeared on Dancing on Ice, where he finished in fifth place with professional partner Maria Filippov, after losing out to EastEnders star Matt Lapinkas. Ward said he was “devastated” to leave the show.

“I mean I was 21 when I won The X Factor and now I’m 32, so of course my body’s going to change,” he said at the time.

He added that it was important for him to be “cuddly” for his daughter, saying: “ I enjoy my food, and now that I’m a dad as well I have a more cuddly figure, and I’m quite happy about that for my little girl.”