Former Boyzone star Stephen Gately will star in a new Doctor Who audio adventure for BBC 7.

In The Horror Of Glam Rock, slated for a January 2007 broadcast, Gately will play a young musician alongside Paul McGann's eight incarnation of the Timelord.

"I said yes immediately," revealed Gately, "because I wanted to do it - plus, if I didn't, my other half would kill me! He's such a big Doctor Who fan."

He will also be resurrecting his singing career for the role, recording his first song since 2001. "I'm so chuffed that I get to sing a song in Doctor Who," he said. "It's a good T Rex style glam rock song that's quite funky."

After leaving pop sensations Boyzone, Gately had a short-lived solo career before branching out into acting. He won critical acclaim for his performance as the Child Catcher in the West End production of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, following a stint in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

Also starring in the time-travelling audio drama, whose title echoes the 1977 Doctor Who story The Horror of Fang Rock, will be Sheridan Smith, Clare Buckfield and Una Stubbs. Comedy icon Bernard Cribbins also joins the cast, four decades since he starred in the spin-off film Daleks - Invasion Earth 2150 AD.