Vinnie Jones has revealed he signed up to Celebrity X Factor as a tribute to his late wife.
Footballer turned Hollywood actor Vinnie Jones had been due to audition for this year’s new X Factor Celebrity show earlier in the summer.
He had withdrawn from the series for personal reasons following the tragic passing of his wife Tanya after a long illness.
However it’s since been announced that Vinnie will take part in the live shows, starting from Saturday.
Speaking to the Daily Mirror newspaper ahead of his first performance, Vinnie shared: “There’s one song that I like, which I might be singing. It’s one that means a lot to us. I can see her now looking out the window of the car tapping along to it. There are a lot of songs that mean a lot to us.
“I’m not treating it like a singing competition, I’m doing it as a tribute for Tanya.”
He added: “I’ve got a song that I could get emotional to, but Tanya wouldn’t want me to crack up. It’s a ballad, an Irish song, it’s basically about me and her. So it’s a sad song.
“If I can get through that, I think that could bring the house down.”
Vinnie previously told how he had first agreed to take part on the show because of his wife.
And this week he took to Twitter to announce he intended to donate any Celebrity X Factor proceeds to the hospitals that cared for his late partner.
Vinnie wrote: “I’ve decided any proceeds of a record contract from X-factor will go to Harefield hospital and Cedars Sinai.
“NOW im ready to Rock n Roll ?? @TheXFactor #CelebrityXFactor”
Vinnie will be mentored by Nicole Scherzinger on the series with her category also including The Chase’s Jenny Ryan, Coronation Street actress Victoria Ekanoye, American actress and chat show host Ricki Lake and TV newsreader and journalist Martin Bashir.
The X Factor: Celebrity begins on Saturday, October 26 at 8:20PM.
Acts will perform live for judges Nicole, Simon Cowell and Louis Walsh as well as viewers at home who can vote via The X Factor app.
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