Jason Bell has said having the support of Nadine Coyle and their daughter on Strictly Come Dancing is “key”.
The former American football player and BBC pundit shares a six-year-old daughter, called Anaiya, with the Girls Aloud star.
The pair were together for 11 years and were engaged at one point, but recently split.
Asked whether she had offered any advice, Bell said: “Yes, we’ve talked about it. We’ve talked about how – it really is a timing thing.
“I said, ‘Do I have enough time during the week to get these routines down?’.
“She’s done it her whole life, she’s like, ‘You’ve really got to lock in and be focused and I’ll help you and I’ll give you some tips and some tricks’. So I got a couple.”
The 42-year-old said both Coyle, 35, and their daughter had been very supportive.
He said: “Yes, they are highly supportive and they’re as excited as I am. I mean, they talk about it daily.
“Sometimes I’m just like, hey, let me just calm my nerves a little bit now.
“My daughter, she asked me about it last night, talking about how she was going to behave and how nervous she was going to be.
“So, having their support is the key.
“And, really, just going out there and wanting to represent them well, you know? They mean so much to me.”
Bell said he was excited to start training with his professional dance partner.
On what he was looking forward to the most, he said: “100% the training. I can’t wait to start the training and get into the process with my professional partner and all of that.
“I think once I start the training I’ll be able to just feel in the groove a little bit more, but I’m really excited to get that part started.”
Bell played as a cornerback/safety for the Dallas Cowboys, before moving to the Houston Texans, where he won the Ed Block Courage Award, one of the league’s highest honours, ending his career at the New York Giants.
Alongside fellow NFL alumni Osi Umenyiora, he presents The NFL Show on the BBC and The Jason & Osi Podcast.
This year’s Strictly Come Dancing series will return on October 17 for the launch show.