Peter Crouch has been confirmed to join the judging panel of The Masked Dancer for series two of the ITV show.

The 41-year-old said he 'jumped at the chance to take part', admitting he's a big fan of the show.

He will step in for Mo Gilligan, who was a judge during series one, as he joins the panel alongside Jonathan Ross, Davina McCall and Oti Mabuse.

Mo is still very much a part of the series, he will be missing most of the series due to work commitments in the US and Peter will be keeping his seat warm. 

The competition, which is a spin-off of hit The Masked Singer, will return to ITV later this year after a successful first season in 2021. 

The show sees 12 celebrities compete to put on a standout dance performance as their identities are kept covered behind elaborate costumes. 

Admitting he's already a fan of the show, Peter shared: 'The show is a firm favourite in our household and when asked I jumped at the chance to take part. I am competitive and I'm currently scrolling through friends' socials looking for those tell-tale dance moves.'

It comes after a wave of speculation that Peter was behind one of the disguises during the last season of The Masked Singer.

An influx of tweets came from fans, as they guessed he was appearing on the show in a tree costume - before it was eventually revealed as footballer Teddy Sheringham.

The former England Striker admitted that being on the panel is a relief as there won't be any more speculation, jesting: 'Another plus is by being on the panel my social media, family and friends won’t be constantly speculating that I’m hiding behind one of the masks.'

Showing he approves of his replacement, Mo described Peter as 'one of the nicest guys in the industry', saying he was the 'perfect replacement'.

'I love being a part of the Masked Team so I’m gutted to be missing most of the series this year as I’ll be working in the US. BUT I’ve got the perfect sub to take my place. A legend on and off the pitch and one of the nicest guys in the industry, Crouchy knows a thing or two about fancy footwork, we’ve got this,' explained Mo.

Peter already has a foot in the door in the world of dancing, as he is known for famously robot dancing on the football pitch.

Joel Dommett will also be returning to present the show, welcoming Peter with open arms as he said: 'We’re losing Mo for some episodes - but we have Peter ‘the Robot’ Crouch to fill his much smaller shoes. I’m very excited as I’ve always looked up to him in his career and because he is massive.'