Meet Perri Kiely – the Diversity dancer and Dancing on Ice 2020 cast member
The back-flipping little kid with glasses is all grown up
Could Britain’s Got Talent winner Perri Kiely win Dancing on Ice 2020? Maybe so (and we're not just saying that because fellow Diversity member Ashley Banjo is sitting on the judging panel). With former Strictly pro James Jordan taking the crown last year, there's pressure on Kiely, another dance professional, to come top of the competition.
And after kicking off top of the leaderboard in week one, he's most certainly feeling the pressure...
"100 per cent [I feel the pressure]," Kiely said. "We've just come off our [Diversity] tour. We do meet-and-greets before every show and I'll tell you now, 50% of the people come up to me and were like, 'You're gonna be great.
"'You're gonna win it, because you're gonna flip, because you're gonna spin,' and yes, there's loads of pressure."
But who exactly is Perri Kiely? Here's all you need to know about the contestant swapping terra firma for a deep-freeze dance floor.
Perri Kiely - Key Facts
Age: 23
Famous for: Dancing in Diversity
Twitter: @perrikiely
Instagram: @realperrikiely
Professional dance partner: Vanessa Bauer
Who is Perri Kiely?
You may not immediately recognise him, as he’s really grown up since he first shot to fame back in 2009 – but as mentioned previously, Perri is (or was) the little backflipping kid who wowed Simon Cowell and his fellow judges on Britain’s Got Talent.
He has since gone on to become a reality star in his own right, appearing in (and often winning) a series of competition shows.
When did Perri Kiely win Britain’s Got Talent?
It was during Britain’s Got Talent’s golden era, in 2009, that Diversity were crowned the surprise champions, after it was repeatedly predicted breakout star Susan Boyle would take the title.
Kiely was just 13 at the time of the win.
“I’ve got to tell you right now, all bets are off,” Simon Cowell said of their finale performance. “It was the only performance of the night I’d give a 10 to.”
What other shows has Perri Kiery starred in?
Diversity was just the tip of the iceberg for Kiely, who made his debut presenting backstage for Sky 1’s Got To Dance in 2013.
However, Kiely is better known for his participation on celebrity reality shows, the first of which being ITV’s much-maligned Splash in 2014. Regularly impressing the judges and mentor Tom Daley, Kiely beat Richard Whitehead to win the second series of the competition.
Later in the same year, he won £12,000 on the celebrity version of Release The Hounds: Jingle Hell, with his team splitting the winnings between NSPCC and Beatbullying.
After looking for love on E4 dating show Celebs Go Dating in 2017, Kiely then tried his luck at baking in the 2018 edition of The Great British Bake Off for Stand Up to Cancer – impressing Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith with his self-portrait croquembouches and winning star baker.
Dancing On Ice is on ITV at 6pm on Sundays
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