Heartbroken Vinnie Jones is going on Celebrity X Factor as a tribute to his beloved wife Tanya, who loved the show.
The footballer-turned-actor will join the ITV contest in the coming weeks.
It comes after Vinnie told the Sunday Mirror of his immense grief following the loss of Tanya, 53, to cancer in July.
A source said: “Vinnie has been in talks with Simon Cowell and the show for a long time. Simon’s been very supp-ortive through the whole thing.
“Tanya loved the programme and wanted Vinnie to do it. But he has been grieving since she passed away and has been going through a very tough time.
"He has spent the past month weighing it all up and bosses are expecting him to join the show for live auditions.”
Vinnie, 54, wept as he told the Mirror last week of the tragic but tender moment wife Tanya slipped away.
The ex-Leeds, Chelsea and Wimbledon star has had a pop at music before – making a covers album called Respect in 2002.
Celebrity X Factor kicked off last night with Strictly star Brendan Cole, US chat host Ricki Lake and The Chase quizzer Jenny Ryan.
The show also features TV journalist Martin Bashir, Corrie’s Victoria Ekanoye and rugby stars Ben Foden and Thom Evans.
