Meet Nigel Harman
Nigel is ready to make moves on the dance floor
Nigel's career in entertainment began at the age of 8, when he secured himself an agent to start acting professionally. His first role came in the form of an Oxo Advert and shortly after, he landed his TV debut at 11 years old in 1984, when he appeared in an episode of the drama series Tenko as Timmy.
After studying drama at Sixth Form, Nigel went on to attend ArtsEd drama school. Graduating in 1992, he started to make appearances in theatre, and was cast in the West End production of Mamma Mia, before he started performing in entertainment shows on cruise ships for six months.
Nigel continued to get minor TV roles, but by 2000 he opted out of acting entirely and became a delivery man for a well known supermarket. In 2003, he made a triumphant return to acting and scored his big break when he was cast in the role of bad boy Dennis Rickman in the ±«Óãtv soap opera EastEnders. With his storylines centred around his relationship with his newly found adopted sister Sharon Watts and feuds with Walford’s kingpin’s, Nigel quickly became a fan favourite and won Most Popular Newcomer at the 2003 National Television Awards.
Departing EastEnders at the end of 2005, he began a stint as Sky Masterson in Guys and Dolls at the Piccadilly Theatre and spent the following years appearing in a variety of plays including The Exonerated, The Caretaker and Three Days of Rain.
In May 2011, Nigel starred as the villainous Lord Farquaad as part of the original cast for the West End production of Shrek the Musical!, his performance earned him an Olivier Award for Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical at the 2012 ceremony and by 2014, he took on the role of Simon Cowell in the West End musical I Can’t Sing! The X Factor Musical written by Harry Hill and featuring former Strictly guest judge, Cynthia Erivo.
After a stint on Downton Abbey, Nigel continued his theatre run and performed in What’s in a Name?, Glengarry Glen Ross, Big Fish and The Da Vinci Code. He’s since starred in Mount Pleasant, We Hunt Together, Tell Me Everything and taken on the role of Max Cristie in medical drama series Casualty.
Now Nigel's about to take centre stage on Strictly!
