Strictly Come Dancing star Dr Ranj has spoken about the moment he came out as gay to his former wife, describing just how tough it was.
The This Morning doctor, whose full name is Ranjit Singh, has said in a new interview that he realised he wasn’t happy five years after tying the knot.
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Ranj, who was in his 20s at the time, told The Mirror that he still doesn’t like to think back to that moment in his life.
The 39-year-old Strictly hopeful said: “It was so hard and I still don’t like thinking about it.
“I felt like my heart had been wrenched out of my chest.”
Adding that he was “completely broken”, Dr Ranj said: “I can only imagine how hard it was for my wife, though – she didn’t deserve any of that.”
Now openly gay, Dr Ranj previously said that he would like to dance with a man in this year’s series of Strictly Come Dancing.
The star, who found fame presenting a kids’ medical show on CBeebies, would be in the first same-sex couple to appear on the show.
He said: “I would love to dance with a same-sex partner.
“I would value a time when same-sex couples could dance on shows like Strictly. It is incredibly important.”
However, a BBC spokesperson later confirmed the introduction of same-sex couples is not something bosses are currently considering.
A rep said: “Strictly has chosen the longstanding ballroom dancing format of mixed-sex couples.”
The new series of Strictly Come Dancing will kick off on BBC One on Saturday, September 8.
Ahead of the show’s premiere, Dr Ranj has revealed he made a rather painful pact with fellow celebrity dancer, comedian Seann Walsh.
The pair have vowed to get their chests waxed together. Ouch!
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Competing alongside Dr Ranj and Seann is television presenter and campaigner Katie Piper, former EastEnders star and Blue singer Lee Ryan, Steps member Faye Tozer and newsreader Kate Silverton.
Capital FM DJ Vick Hope, YouTuber Joe Sugg, Casualty’s Charles Venn, and fashion expert Susannah Constantine will also be taking to the dance floor.
Red Dwarf’s Danny John-Jules, cricketer Graeme Swann, Pussycat Dolls’ Ashley Roberts, documentary maker Stacey Dooley and Paralympian Lauren Steadman complete the line-up.