Joe Washbourn didn’t think he would appear on Popstar to Operastar in a million years.

The Toploader frontman, best known for singing the catchy hit Dancing in the Moonlight – and, er, being the best man at Dan Hipgrave’s wedding to Gail Porter – explained while he had never planned to take part in a TV talent show, he “thoroughly enjoyed” learning how to sing opera because it is so different.

He said: “It’s pretty random singing opera. I didn’t think I’d do it in a million years but I thoroughly enjoyed it in the rehearsals, so I thought, ‘Why not?’

“It’s nice to do something completely different and get out of your comfort zone.”

Joe will sing in the competition for the first time on Sunday (12.06.11), and he thinks the judging line-up of classical violinist Vanessa Mae, theatre director Simon Callow, Welsh mezzo-soprano Katherine Jenkins and Mexican-born tenor Rolando Villazon are much harsher than last year’s panellists.

He added: “It’s between Simon and Vanessa who is scariest. Vanessa is going to be pretty hot on the musicality side, they are a lot tougher than Meat Loaf and Lawrence Llewellyn-Bowen were last year.