Blue, Strictly And EastEnders Star Lee Ryan Will Be Wimbledon's Aladdin

---

He will join Paul Merton and Pete Firman at New Wimbledon Theatre

Having temporarily hung up his dancing shoes and left the Strictly dancefloor, boyband and television star Lee Ryan will be the hero Aladdin in this year’s New Wimbledon Theatre pantomime.

Since joining the BRIT award-winning boyband Blue in 2001, Lee and his bandmates went on to sell over 14 million records worldwide, releasing five critically acclaimed studio albums and headlined several UK tours.

Lee has also starred as Woody Woodward in EastEnders for the BBC, a role which won him the Inside Soap Award for Best Newcomer.

Earlier this year he participated in the 16th series of Strictly Come Dancing for the BBC opposite professional dancer Nadiya Bychkova. Despite impressing with their Waltz, Jive and Cha-Cha-Cha, Lee and Nadiya quickstepped out of the competition on Sunday’s result show.

Speaking on his starring role in Aladdin at New Wimbledon Theatre Lee said: “I had an incredible time on Strictly and I’m sad to have left the competition, but on the plus side it means I can finally reveal my plans for Christmas, playing Aladdin in pantomime. This will be my third panto and I absolutely love it, and I’m sure there’ll be more dance moves in store for me as I dance around Old Peking.”

Lee joins Have I Got News For You stalwart and comedy star Paul Merton as Widow Twankey, alongside leading funny man, magician and television regular Pete Firman as his brother Wishee Washee. They will be joined by leading ladies Linda John Pierre and Lauren Chia as The Empress and Princess Jasmine, with Adam Pearce as Abanazar and Josh Donovan, Maria Crawford Clarke, Isaac Hesketh, Sarah Marie Maxwell, Jessica Oakman, Georgia Reid and Michael Stewart.

Aladdin will be directed by Kerry Michael MBE, with choreography by Mitch Sebastian, with featured special effects by The Twins FX and a 3D sequence which will promises to transport audiences on a magical carpet ride.

New Wimbledon theatre Director Nick Parr said: “We are delighted Lee Ryan completes the cast as our hero Aladdin, we are now ready to take a magic carpet ride to the best show in Merton this Christmas!”

Aladdin runs from Saturday December 8 to Sunday January 6.  .

October 12, 2018