Singer Aled Jones took part in BBC hit show Strictly Come Dancing 2004 and in this interview at the time said it was the best thing he'd ever done in his life, beating singing and selling records.

Anglesey-born Aled was talking to BBC Radio Cymru presenter Ieuan Rhys about why he agreed to do the series and the unexpected effect it had on his life.

"I've been offered The Games, I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here!, Celebrity Boxing, and I didn't want to do any of them to tell you the truth. I've never wanted to go down the Hello and Okay! magazine route. They asked me to do Strictly Come Dancing at the beginning of the year, but I was in Australia. And when they asked again I thought, 'Yes, why not?'"

Most people who knew Aled would have been surprised at his decision.

"I was the one who didn't dance at my own wedding!" he says. "During my school years, I'd be the one at the bar watching other people dance. I couldn't move as a person at all. I did Joseph for a year and was very aware of being very stiff...

"So this has been am amazing experience. Amazing! The best thing I've ever done in my life, ever! Better than singing, better than releasing records... better than anything.

"I feel stronger, I feel more confident, the voice is better, my posture's better... It's incredible. I've lost over a stone, a stone and a half. Only good has come of it, really"

Not having seen the last series, Aled didn't really know what he was letting himself in for. On Showbusnesan, he admits to being very lucky to be partnered with Moscow-born Lilia Kopylova.

"I didn't see any of the last series, and still haven't which is a good thing, I think. Another good thing is that they've given me a fantastic partner... She's a very strong woman but she's immense fun as well. I spend up to four to five hours a day with her, apart from Sundays, so this is taking big chunk of my life.

"I'm very lucky to have Lilia, because she's got this strength and this energy and this has rubbed off on me. So that's been a good thing. And she's also a girl who knows what she wants in life, and I think that's rubbed off on me. All in all, I feel as if I'm in a very good place in my life at the moment."

Even the slightly elaborate costumes haven't put Aled off.

"At the start of the process, I had to have a fitting... I have never worn plunging necklines, diamante and Lycra before, honestly I haven't - not even at home! But I had this fitting and I was there in front of the mirror thinking, 'what have I done? I'm fat, I'm pale, I look awful! I have the Latin American dance champion next to me, looking tanned and incredible...' But after about five weeks they were telling me, 'I want you to wear an all in one black, lycra suit with gold stones' and I was going 'Fantastic! Great! I'll wear a pink one if you want..' Now, I really don't care... That's changed in me.

"If you're doing something like Strictly Come Dancing, you need to do it a 100 per cent, I think. I don't care about looking silly, because I knew from the start that I was going to look ridiculous anyway! But I'm enjoying it."

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