Double amputee Billy Monger will compete

Double amputee Billy Monger will take part in the Strictly Come Dancing Christmas special.

The TV presenter and former racing driver from Charlwood in Surrey will compete against professional dancer Nadezhda Bychkova in the show, which airs on BBC 1 on December 25.

The 25-year-old had both legs amputated. near fatal accident in 2017.

He said of his latest challenge: “The thought of wearing glitter in front of Craig Revel Horwood fills me with a fear I’ve never felt before.”

He said: “This is as far out of my comfort zone as it gets.

“My family are big Strictly fans so I’m doing this for them.

“I just hope my leg doesn’t fall off while dancing.”

Other celebrities featured in the Christmas special include comedian Josh Widdicombe, drag artist Thays, Vogue presenter Williams, gladiator Harry Aikins-Aria and actor Tamsin Outhwaite.

Billy Monger was seriously injured in a high-speed collision while racing in Formula 4, resulting in both of his legs being amputated.

Despite this, he refused to give up his racing career, lobbying for drivers with and without disabilities to be able to race alongside each other.

He won the BBC Sports Personality Helen Rollason Award and made a Bafta-nominated BBC documentary about his story.

He is a presenter and expert on Channel 4’s coverage of Formula 1 and the Paralympics.

Monger said he has been training 20 hours a week for the past 12 months. Charity competition for the Ironman world record he successfully completed his training in October in Hawaii.

He covered the 226.3 km (140.6 mi) distance in 14 hours 23 minutes 56 seconds, more than two hours shy of Comic Relief’s previous fundraising record.

In the same month he was prohibited from driving within 49 days of the Surrey crash.