Radio and broadcaster Will Best's family didn't quite imagine him going into TV.
Will, who is competing for the Glitter Ball trophy on Strictly Come Dancing this year, has carved a successful TV career as the co-host of ITV's rebooted Big Brother and its spin-off series, Celebrity Big Brother, and makes regular appearances on ITV's This Morning. But his line of work wasn't quite what his father pictured.
"My dad has always worked in charity and he wanted me to go to Oxbridge and work for a think tank and contribute to society in a positive way," Will, who began his TV career in 2010, once told The Sun. "When I quit advertising to become a TV presenter that was a little hard for him to compute," he admitted.
© Getty Images"Then I was like, ‘I’m hosting a show called Suck My Pop’ and he started to short circuit." The star recalled his first job was having Katie Price wax his nipples and spray him with fake tan while he wore paper pants.
"I had to chase her car down in front of a load of paps, wearing just the pants with a streaky tan," he said. "The pictures appeared in the Press. They described me as a crazed fan." Will said his now 81-year-old father had "rolled his eyes and said, ‘'If it makes you happy'."
Will's next chapter
© CREDIT LINE:BBC/Guy LevyWill Best will be swapping broadcast TV for the ballroom as he joins this year's star-studded Strictly lineup, returning to the BBC on 19 September.
"I can't quite believe it…I'm doing Strictly! What an absolute dream. Albeit a pretty terrifying one," Will said when it was announced he would be part of the upcoming season.
© Max Cisotti/Dave Benett/Getty Im"I've been lucky to do lots of live telly before, but absolutely nothing like this. And I cannot wait! I have no idea if I can actually dance, but bring on the sequins, bring on the quicksteps, bring on the dance floor! I’m going to try to enjoy every minute of it."
Will joins the likes of Australian singer Delta Goodrem, celebrity hairstylist Chris Appleton and EastEnders star Lacey Turner.
