Vinnie Jones unveils plans to pay tribute to late wife Tanya during Celebrity X Factor live shows

Vinnie Jones says he will sing some of wife Tanya’s favourite songs as a tribute to her after he makes his X Factor singing debut on Saturday night.

Vinnie, 54, is joining the show just weeks after Tanya died and he says she had hoped to be alive to see him in the competition.

Vinnie told the Mirror: "There’s one song that I like, which I might be singing. It’s one that means a lot to us. I can see her now looking out the window of the car tapping along to it. There are a lot of songs that mean a lot to us.

"I’m not treating it like a singing competition, I’m doing it as a tribute for Tanya."

It is understood he has been rehearsing Everybody Needs Somebody To Love for the opening show, but may perform more tearjerking tracks later in the series.

Vinnie is singing as a tribute for Tanya on The X Factor: Celebrity (Getty)

Vinnie has a song that could get very emotional (ITV)

He added: “I’ve got a song that I could get emotional to, but Tanya wouldn’t want me to crack up. It’s a ballad, an Irish song, it’s basically about me and her. So it’s a sad song.

"If I can get through that, I think that could bring the house down.

"The biggest part of doing X Factor was Tanya. She loved the show, she thought it would be brilliant. I’m like, ‘No no, really?’ She was like ‘yeah you’ll be brilliant, I love it,’ then my daughter jumped in, Kaley, and she’s like you’ve got to do it.

"It gave Tanya something to look forward to, to come over to London and get well for.

"Sadly it was a bridge too far for her."

Vinnie got emotional when describing his final moments with Tanya on GMB (ITV)

Vinnie vowed to carry on with the show for Tanya (ITV)

Former footballer Vinnie, who won the FA Cup with Wimbledon, insisted he was not nervous about singing live.

He said: "I’ve played in front of 100,000 fans in my football days, I got through that. I won that one. I’ll be excited to get stuck in and see where it takes me.”

He has vowed to give any X Factor winnings to the hospitals that cared for his late wife, Harefield hospital and Cedars Sinai.

Vinnie vowed to donate any winnings to the hospitals where Tanya was treated (Twitter)

Asked to describe his vocals he added: "My sound’s a bit gravelly. I’m best if I’m a bit gravelly. I sing some nice Irish ballads. And cowboy songs I love.

"But I don’t think that’s the way to go in a competition like this. I think you’ve got to come out loud, maybe a bit of Madness, Baggy Trousers, all that kind of stuff. I mean, that’s what everyone expects from me.”

*The X Factor: Celebrity airs Saturda on ITV at 8.20pm