Ed Sheeran was rejected from 'Britannia High' because of his inept dancing.
Ed Sheeran was rejected from a TV show because of his dancing
The 30-year-old superstar auditioned for the musical drama series when he was 16, but Arlene Phillips turned him down.
He said: "This was a TV show I did for ITV when I was 16 and it was a show where you had to be a triple threat. You had to be able to act, dance and sing – two of which I couldn’t do. There is a girl who was at my high school and she was an incredible dancer. She taught me this dance which looked amazing when she did it…so I just copied what she did."
But for the teenage Ed - who went on to earn a multi-million pound fortune as a singer-songwriter - things did not go to plan and told of how despite his confidence, he overheard former 'Strictly' judge Arlene, 78, dismiss him almost immediately.
Speaking on 'The Jonathan Ross Show', he said: "I walked out of the audition like “I think that went really well” and then I saw Arlene Phillips go 'not a chance'."
Footage of the failed audition has since resurfaced, in which a young Ed Sheeran can be seen reflecting on his dancing to the camera.
He said: " ‘I’m just trying to really get it in my head. I think I messed up as I got kicked in the face by accident."
'Britannia High' was cancelled after just one series due to low ratings and featured future 'Skins' actor Mitch Hewer, 32, and West End actor Adam Garcia, 48, who starred in musicals 'Wicked' and 'Saturday Night Fever.'
Other future stars who failed at the auditions for the short lived series include pop star Pixie Lott, 30, and Aston Merrygold, 33, who would later rise to prominence as part of X Factor boyband JLS.
Tagged in Jonathan Ross Arlene Phillips Ed Sheeran