Exclusive: 'Oaks actor joins 'Dancing on Ice' lineup

Hollyoaks actor Kieron Richardson is to compete in this year's Dancing on Ice, Digital Spy can exclusively reveal.

The 23-year-old, who plays troubled Ste Hay in the Channel 4 soap, recently embarked on an intensive training regime to prepare for ITV's annual ice dance contest.

A source told DS: "Kieron's already training hard and he's looking forward to competing against some of the great names in the lineup.

"He has a lot to live up to, though, if he wants to follow in the footsteps of his close friend and former co-star Chris Fountain."

Fountain - who portrayed Justin Burton in the show for six years until he quit in March - came second to Suzanne Shaw in the reality programme's 2008 run.

Richardson will line up alongside Eternal's Kelly Bryan, ex-Coronation Street star Danny Young, Holby City's Jeremy Sheffield and ex-footballer Peter Shilton.

Inbetweeners actress Emily Atack, Danniella Westbrook, '80s popstar Sinitta, Gordon Ramsay's wife Tana and Heather Mills are also expected to take part.

Speaking about the celebrity cast earlier this year, host Phillip Schofield said: "It's a great lineup. When I went down the list there were two or three times I went, 'Oh my God, you're serious'."

Dancing On Ice returns to ITV1 in January.