Bookies predict Ed Balls will appear on Celebrity Big Brother 2017 after Strictly success

Not many politicians have enjoyed quite the career change that Ed Balls has – going from a former MP to a newfound member of reality television.

The Labour party politician appears to be enjoying the limelight with a less serious tone than frontline politics, as it has been announced that he will join this year's line-up for the annual tour.

The former shadow chancellor – who was the 10<sup>th celebrity to be eliminated from the current series after losing to Judge Rinder in Sunday's dance-off – will appear on stage with several of his co-stars in Birmingham January 2017, kicking off the ballroom series UK tour.

Balls, 49, got far in the dance competition despite lacking significant ballroom talent and being a regular in the bottom two – causing controversy with some of the viewing public – but managed to stay in thanks to his entertaining stage presence.

And now, he has been tipped to appear on another reality television series – a place where all politicians should be wary of going – Celebrity Big Brother. He is odds-on favourite at the bookmakers to join the Channel 5 show, which returns on screens in January 2017 and has featured other MPs including George Galloway and Winston McKenzie.

Coral are said to have 10-1 on Balls appearing on the next series. And the bookies aren't the only ones who view Balls as a potential multi-purpose reality star.

Strictly's most outlandish judge, Bruno Tonioli, also sees Balls as a showman, claiming he would love to see him star in a West End musical with the likes of Honey G from The X Factor.

He joked in his column for Best magazine: "How hilarious that Honey G challenged Ed to a dance-off.

"Is she the best singer on The X Factor? Absolutely not! But they're both great fun. Gosh, imagine if they starred in a West End show together, it'd be like the Apocalypse Now, they'd cause a revolution."

Strictly continues this Saturday at 7pm on BBC1.