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Kym Marsh has claimed that her time on ITV’s Popstars has prepared her for the criticism contestants experience on BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing.

The singer and actress, 46, first appeared on our screens in 2001, when she became a member of the band Hear’Say on the ITV singing competition, Popstars.

She was left enraged by the show’s judge Nigel Lythgoe, also known as ‘Nasty Nigel,’ when he told her to lose weight after she won a place in the final group.

Kym Marsh will take part in Strictly Come Dancing 2022.

Speaking to The Sun, Kym said: “If you can survive what Nigel said to you, you can survive anything.

“I got called fat on national television when I was 24. It was outrageous. That’s probably the worst thing that could happen.”

She added that if the Strictly professionals say that she’s done something wrong, she will gracefully “take it.”

Nigel Lythgoe is a film director, producer, and television competition judge - who is also known as ‘Nasty Nigel.’ (Photo by Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images)

During the 2001 Popstars show, Nigel made a visit to the wannabe bandmates in their accommodation where he singled-out Kym for “getting fat.”

At the time, she was a 25-year-old, mother-of-two, who already had struggles with her self-image.

Nigel declared on TV: “You need to lose some weight, I think you’ve put weight on over Christmas.”

Pop group Hear’Say (L-R) Noel, Suzanne, Myleene, Kym and Danny were formed on the TV show ‘’Popstars’’ (Photo by Anthony Harvey/Getty Images)

After the tense on-screen interaction Marsh revealed that she had become bulimic at stage school, as a result of always comparing herself to smaller girls.

Kym opened up about her struggles with self-image in her 2010 autobiography, called ‘From The Heart’, where she describes feeling like a “big galumphing elephant” and eventually becoming bulimic.

Nigel Lythgoe, 73, has since defended his comments on the show, saying: “She’s made an absolute mint on slimming down, looking fabulous now, acting brilliantly, and she’s made a huge career for herself, bless her.”

2021’s judging panel of (L-R) Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, Shirley Ballas and Anton Du Beke are set to return for 2022’s Strictly Come Dancing series.

The Popstars group, Hear’Say split-up after just one year of releasing music, with all members pursuing other ventures, with Kym moving into acting.

The singer joined the cast of Coronation Street, playing Michelle Connor from April 2006 until 2019. She then joined the cast of the BBC school drama, Waterloo Road.

Ahead of Strictly’s Friday night launch, she added: “I survived being fat shamed on TV, nothing Strictly’s’ Craig Revel Horwood says can hurt me.”

Kym Marsh: ‘I survived being fat shamed on TV, nothing Strictly’s’ Craig Revel Horwood says can hurt me’

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