James is the latest celebrity to join the cast of Chicago

The singer, 29, will take to the stage at London's Cambridge Theatre for seven weeks from 2 July.

He steps into the shoes of Dynasty star Maxwell Caulfield. The role has also been played by David Hasselhoff, Marti Pellow and Torchwood's John Barrowman.

James made the top 10 with hits like All Rise and One Love as part of the boyband Blue from 2001-2004.

He then launched a short-lived solo career, before competing in ITV1's Dancing On Ice show last year.

After making it to the finals, James took third place and has just completed a five-week tour with his co-competitors and mentors Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean.

Chicago celebrates its tenth anniversary in the West End in November, while the Broadway production notched up its first decade last year.

The show has become known in both the UK and US for so-called "stunt casting" - putting well-known faces in the lead roles to boost interest at the box office.

Among those who have graced the stage are Wonder Woman actress Lynda Carter, R&B star Usher, and actresses Brooke Shields and Melanie Griffith.

The musical was also turned into an Oscar-winning film starring Richard Gere, Catherine Zeta Jones and Renee Zellweger in 2002.