Lee Ryan felt like he was on ‘The Only Way Is Essex’ during ‘Celebs Go Dating’.
Although the Blue singer and former ‘EastEnders’ actor is no stranger to reality TV having appeared on the likes of ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ and ‘Celebrity Big Brother’ in the past, he admitted joining the E4 dating show was a very unique experience for him.
Speaking on ITV’s ‘Good Morning Britain’, he said: "It’s not anything I’ve ever done before. At one point I was sitting there and actually thinking, ‘I’m on TOWIE’, because it’s very much in the same kind of place in some ways.
"For me, it was a really great experience."
The 36-year-old star also revealed he was "a bit reluctant" to go on a lot of dates on the programme because he can be too "awkward" when it comes to meeting someone for the first time, so he’d rather build up a connection with them first.
He added: "You had a choice whether to see the person you’ve been with before or carry on meeting new people.
"I was a bit reluctant to meet so many people because I don’t actually like the whole first dating thing. I get awkward and I say really bad dad jokes. I think I’m funny when I’m not!"
Lee previously admitted he was unaware about half of his co-stars on the dating show because he hasn’t owned a TV for a while.
He said: "I never had a TV for a couple years, I’ve only just got a TV. I’d rather sit by the piano.
"Half the people, I never really knew who they were. When they first walked in, I didn’t even know who Megan [Barton-Hanson] was."
Lee Ryan says Celebs Go Dating felt like TOWIE
