Who is Louie Spence? Celebs on the Farm and Celebrity Big Brother star
LOUIE Spence danced his way into the hearts of many a TV fan since he first appeared on Pineapple Dance Studios.
The camp telly favourite has cruised his way through just about every competitive reality show going, but what do we know about him? Here's his story...
Who is Louie Spence, how old is he and what's his background?
Louie Spence is a 49-year-old reality TV personality, dancer and West End performer from Braintree, Essex.
The self-confessed hypochondriac is known for his boundless energy, and slight speech impediment which was caused by a trampoline accident when he was 12.
His nephew is Big Brother star Lotan Carter, who appeared with Louie on an episode of Pineapple Dance Studios.
After studying at a top London stage school, Louie began his career in earnest through massive West End shows like Cats and Miss Saigon.
He also danced on stage with a number of superstars like Spice Girls, Take That and Bjork.
Openly gay, Louie has spoken about his difficulties with anxiety and depression which began after his mum died.
When did Louie Spence become famous?
Louie's infectious sense of fun made him Sky's top choice for a judge on Cirque De Celebrite in 2006 and he went on to present the US version for the show.
Then in 2009, while he was the creative director of a Covent Garden dance studio that's known as Pineapple, fame finally knocked on Louie's door.
Sky decided to base a show around his work, and its line was: "Pineapple Dance Studios: Where careers are made, dreams are broken, bitching is an Olympic sport and everyone is fabulous!".
The documentary was followed up by a second series, renamed Louie Spence's Showbusiness, which didn't bring in very many viewers.
However, Louie was so popular he landed spots on Dancing On Ice in 2012 (as a judge), Celebrity Big Brother in 2013 (coming seventh), and The Jump in 2015 (coming 11th).
Also, it was recently revealed that the star would be joining Channel 5's Celebs on the Farm, which sees celebs enduring the daily challenges of agricultural life.
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What else do we know about Louie?
Louie has been married to his fiercely private husband - introduced to him by an Aussie choreographer from Dancing On Ice - since 2009.
When not shaking his thing, Louie has been appearing on more TV shows, as himself, than you can shake a maraca at.
They include The Chase, Top Gear, Benidorm, Would I Lie To You and Celebrity Come Dine With Me.
He's recently appeared on the first episode of the rebooted Crystal Maze, and he's currently starring in the new series of Celebs on the Farm.
And, in 2011, the 5ft 5in star published his autobiography Still Got It, Never Lost It!