YouTube star Joe Sugg will host the Strictly Come Dancing podcast when it returns alongside the new series.

Sugg was a runner-up in last year’s series along with professional dancer Dianne Buswell and his Strictly journey will continue on the twice-weekly episodes of the podcast, billed as a “backstage pass” for fans with news, interviews and more.

The vlogger, 27, said: “I am really excited to be continuing my Strictly experience this year by hosting the podcast. The best laughs happen backstage, so I can’t wait to share these special moments with the fans at home.”

Strictly Come Dancing 2018
Joe Sugg and Dianne Buswell on Strictly Come Dancing 2018 (Guy Levy/BBC)

He will be joined on the podcast by co-host Kim Winston, who has an “encyclopaedic knowledge” of Strictly having worked on the show since 2009, starting as Sir Bruce Forsyth’s researcher, working up to producing the live shows and heading up the dance team.

Winston said: “I have worked behind the scenes on Strictly Come Dancing for the past 10 years and am absolutely delighted to be hosting the podcast alongside Strictly superstar Joe.

“We’ll be taking the listeners backstage twice a week to hear all the goss from the studio and training rooms, making it the ultimate addition to the show.”

There will be 30 episodes of the Strictly podcast, the majority of which will be released weekly on Sundays and Thursdays.

The broadcasts, which will be available on BBC Sounds, will include exclusive backstage access to the Strictly studios, with interviews with the celebrity contestants, the dancers and the judges, as well as those working behind the scenes on the BBC One show.

There will also be four bonus episodes for listeners, introducing them to the 17th series, the new couples, the Christmas special and the 2020 tour.

Sugg, who blogs as ThatcherJoe and has more than eight million subscribers on his YouTube channel, impressed viewers last year with his dance partnership with Buswell, who he is now in a relationship with.

Since appearing on Strictly, Sugg landed a presenting role on the BBC for its New Year’s Eve coverage and he appeared in the Strictly live tour.

It was recently announced he is set to make his West End debut in the cast of Waitress.

This year’s Strictly will kick off in September and the celebrity line-up includes comedian Chris Ramsey, ex-Coronation Street star Catherine Tyldesley, BBC Breakfast sports host Mike Bushell and former rower James Cracknell.