Lee Mead admits he was passed up for Strictly twice

Any Dream Will Do winner Lee Mead, 41, who has since gone on to star in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat as well as several other high-profile shows, spoke about how he once came close to appearing in another talent show in an exclusive interview with Express.co.uk.

The former Casualty actor, who is due to star as Khashoggi in this Summer’s production of We Will Rock You at the London Coliseum, recalled how he had almost taken to the floor on BBC One’s Strictly Come Dancing on two separate occasions.

While Lee’s musical theatre background might have put him at a slight advantage, the star explained why he would still be keen to give the show a try.

Asked if he would ever return to reality TV after getting his start on Any Dream Will Do, Lee confirmed: “Yeah, I think I would.

“I was up for Strictly for two years running, and unfortunately they didn’t quite go with me – this was a couple of years back.

“It didn’t quite work out, unfortunately,” he continued. “They went the other way, but I would always be open to doing that!

“I think it would be quite exciting to be part of that kind of show,” he added, before admitting he would definitely still feel the pressure despite his performance training.

“It would be quite scary because dancing isn’t something… Like I can move but I’m not really a dancer,” he explained. “So I’d love to do Strictly one day if they ever came forward.

“I think that would be a lot of fun and a real challenge as well,” he said. “And a lot of training!”

Pointing out that reality TV can sometimes just involve people “doing nothing” in front of the cameras, he added: “I’d like to do something with a bit of a challenge to it. If it involved a good challenge, it could be good fun.”

Elsewhere in the interview, Lee spoke about the upcoming Gaiety Musical Theatre Festival, which is a one-of-a-kind, multi-stage event that will bring together some of the biggest West End and Broadway stars when it launches on April 30 at Ragley Hall, Warwickshire.

Lee said: “It should be a really great event! We’ve got the London Musical Theatre Orchestra and that’s always such a great treat, to sing with an Orchestra.

He went on to say he “really hoped” that this innovative musical theatre festival, which includes two professional stages, a silent disco, a funfair and a plethora of tasty food options, will start a trend for musical theatre fans and families to enjoy multiple times a year.

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As well as Lee, who has starred in hit shows like Wicked and Legally Blonde: The Musical, other huge musical theatre stars like Anything Goes’ Kerry Ellis and Olivier Award-winner Cassidy Janson will also be taking to the stage.

As well as his upcoming festival stint, Lee also expressed his excitement and nerves after auditioning in front of legendary rock band Queen for Ben Elton’s revival of the hit stage musical We Will Rock You.

“Singing a Queen song to Queen in my final audition in front of Brian May and Roger Taylor was pretty daunting,” Lee admitted. “But luckily I got the job!”

Lee will star alongside Loose Women’s Brenda Edwards, who will be wowing audiences with her portrayal of the Killer Queen.

Gaiety Musical Theatre Festival will take place at Ragley Hall, Warwickshire, on April 30.

We Will Rock You will run from June 2 to August 26 at the London Coliseum.

Lee Mead has previously appeared on Any Dream Will Do, Casualty and Holby City for the BBC, as well as Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat in London’s West End.