Strictlys Chris Ramsey thanks Joel Dommett for changing the rules for stand-up comedians with Im a Celebrity

Chris Ramsey thinks Joel Dommetts stint on Im A Celebrity was a game-changing moment for stand-up comedians and their crossover to reality competitions.

Despite promising himself a year off, the dad-of-one is about to end 2019 with a stint on Strictly Come Dancing, following topping the charts with podcast Sh*gged, Married Annoyed, and filming new stand-up special for Amazon, Approval Needed.

(So much for year off but there you go!)

Speaking exclusively to Metro.co.uk, Chris admitted that he was a little worried about the reaction among other stand up stars, but has shocked by the support from fellow comedians.

Its been really nice, I got so many texts when I got announced and you kind of think that as a stand-up it would be a bit sneery, the South Shields native told us.

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I thought it would be like “oh-ah, you gotta go and do a dancing competition eh? You cant do jokes!” but its not like that at all.

He now reckons that it might have something to do with Joel Dommett, whose career took off after a stint on Im A Celeb as a relative unknown back in 2016. Now, hes still touring the UK but is also host on a number of ITV2 shows, including most recently, Singletown.

Since Joel Dommett went into the jungle, he kind of changed the rules a little bit, Chris declared.

You can do other things. Youre a comedian first and foremost but you can do things, you can be a presenter, you can be a personality, you can be an actor, he said. You can be whatever.

Chris is due to make his live show debut with pro partner Karen Hauer on 21 September, competing for the first time on the Strictly dancefloor – and with his trademark wit, he reckons shes got her work cut out for her.

I wouldve been happy with any one of them pro dancers to be partnered with, because theyre all incredible, he told us of rehearsals. Watching them perform when we did our sort of group dance together, it was genuinely demoralising, because theyre so good.

I know Im going to be holding [Karen] back, I know theyre at the top of their game and they have to drag my sorry a**e around the dance floor on live telly. What have they done in the past lives to deserve that in their profession?!

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No matter what the outcome with Strictly, Chris has vowed to stick with stand up comedy, and told us: Im a stand-up comedian first and foremost, Im definitely not a professional dancer…yet!.

Always for me, [I hope for] bigger tours, bigger numbers. I always want to get better as a comedian. But Strictly is basically something, I know it will get us out there to a bigger audience, but its also really fun.

I know its a once in a lifetime experience, he added. And I know my wifes really jealous that were doing it so thats an added bonus as well!

If nothing else, it could make for some cracking stand-up material – with Chris open about everything from spats with his wife Rosie, to a time he was almost killed by a seagull (kind of) in his latest offering.

But Chris admits that hes become used to worrying is this it? when it comes to creating new stand-up, and he told us: Every couple of years, every tour in your head, every show you write, in your head theres a part of your brain in your head going “well that was your last one”. Every time in your head, its crazy.

But youve got to remind yourself that like, theres no point in life where Im thinking “Oh, im never going to have another conversation with another human again because therell be nothing to talk about” or you know, nothings going to happen, or Im never going to laugh again because Ive heard everything.

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