Mollie King is first celebrity confirmed for Strictly Come Dancing

The announcement was made on Monday morning during the Radio 1 Breakfast Show with host Nick Grimshaw.

Speaking to Grimshaw, Mollie said she was “so excited” that she was taking part this year and would be embracing the spray tans and the outfits that Strictly entails.

“You wouldn’t wear them down to the supermarket,” she said. “I think you’ve just got to go for it because I personally – I always veer away from looking too ultra girly but on this you’ve got to go for it – get the pink on, get the sparkles. This is your moment to be a princess.”

Before the news was announced, Molllie revealed that the only people she had told about doing the show were her parents, sisters and former Saturdays bandmate Frankie Bridge who was a runner-up on Strictly in 2014.

“She was so excited,” Mollie said. “She was driving as I told her and she had to pull over so now I can actually tell everyone else!”

Revealing that she starts rehearsals in a couple of weeks, Mollie also said that she didn’t want to be out in the first week – “that would be so embarrassing!” – and that she was most scared of Craig Revel Horwood.

“I know he can be quite harsh,” she said. “As long as Craig isn’t too mean, I’ll be ok! I don’t really want the criticism, to be honest. I want them to say it was great!”

However, she said she was most nervous about picking up the dance routines. “It’s completely different to what I’ve done with The Saturdays and I’ve never done any stage school,” she said. “I’m quite slow at picking up routines in general with the band. I’m really nervous so I’ve just got to throw myself in.”

Mollie also revealed that she was approached to do the show. “I’ve always watched it with my family and it always looks so fun. Who doesn’t want to learn to dance?”

The code name theme for the contestants this year was also revealed to be Greek muses, with Mollie being called Clio behind closed doors so as not to give away her identity.

RadioTimes.com recently reported that the first official celebrity announcement would be imminent after it was revealed in July that the line-up was 'almost complete'.

The stars of series 15 will now be gradually revealed – and we will have them all right here – before Strictly's launch in September.

Until we know for sure who will be joining Mollie on the dance floor, rumours for which celebrities are taking part in series 15 are rife, with names including Alexandra Burke, Matt Goss, Samantha Womack, Anne Robinson and Olly Murs currently being reported for the show this year.

Presenters Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman will return alongside judges Darcey Bussell, Craig Revel-Horwood and Bruno Tonioli. But there will be a new face on the panel as Shirley Ballas replaces Len Goodman as Head Judge.

There will also be some new professional dancers joining the show – Nadiya Bychkova, Dianne Buswell and Amy Dowden – after Joanne Clifton and Oksana Platero left the series.

Strictly Come Dancing will return to BBC1 this autumn