ONE of Bolton’s most famous sons is to appear on ITV's latest series of Dancing on Ice

Famous for his on-stage antics in the 90s with Manchester-based alternative rock band The Happy Mondays, Mark Berry, known more commonly as Bez, will either take to the ice for the first time this Sunday, or the following week, at 6.30pm.

The show is due to last for 10 weeks, though Bez may not, as he could scarcely believe he was picked to take part in the show in the first place

He said: “At the moment it’s more like Bambi on Ice, not Dancing On Ice. How I got picked I don’t know because I was absolutely awful at the audition, but they must have seen some potential in me."

The 57-year-old revealed the news back in October when he appeared on This Morning, where he spoke about his feelings towards wearing fake tan and sequins:

“This is going to be a whole new experience so you never know – I might quite grow to like it,” he said.

Bandmate Shaun Ryder congratulated Bez on his announcement, saying: “It’s a happy Monday. Hope it’s not a black and blue Monday.”

Joining Bez on the line up are Coronation Street’s Sally Dynevor, Pussycat Dolls member Kimberley Wyatt, Love Island’s Liberty Poole and former Strictly professional Brendan Cole.

Former England rugby player Ben Foden, bassist and singer from The Vamps, Connor Ball and S Club 7’s Rachel Stevens will also be stepping out onto the ice, with TV presenter Ria Hebden, Olympic BMX star Kye Whyte and Paralympic medallist Stef Reid completing the line-up.

The Happy Mondays star is swapping the maracas for ice skates in his most recent stint on prime time telly; After an appearance on Celebrity Masterchef last year, he is picking up this year where he left off.

Last year was a busy one for Bez, which saw his online lockdown fitness video series, ‘Get Buzzin’ With Bez,’ which racked up over 330,000 views on YouTube, launched, and a subsequent yoga series, ‘Get Mellow With Bez,’ where he was joined by Lancashire journalist, Amy Farnworth.

Proving he’s more than just a 24-hour party person these days, Bez also spent his time last year by opening a horse racing club, despite his relative novice horse-riding status, while also appearing on stage at Rivington Music Festival.