A MASSAGE therapist is hoping to dance his way into the nation’s hearts on a primetime TV show.

Tommy Franzen, 28, from Ladywell Road, Ladywell, will feature in the first edition of the BBC’s So You Think You Can Dance tonight at 6pm.

The programme is presented by Cat Deeley and sees judges Nigel Lythgoe and Arlene Phillips critique finalists competing for the title of Britain's favourite dancer.

Mr Franzen specialises in hip-hop dancing but will have his skills put to the test, having to perform a range of dancing styles on the show to secure victory.

The dancer was selected as part of the top 14 from a national audition tour for a series of live Saturday night studio shows.

He said: “I’m doing this for the challenge.

“I don't normally compete with my dancing but as they were looking for versatile dancers for the show I got very curious.

“My strength as a dancer is that I'm quite broad in my dance abilities. Normally in competitions they are looking for the best dancer in a particular dance style but I'm not specialised enough to feel confident to enter such a thing.”

Mr Franzen, who has been dancing since the age of 11, has already appeared in blockbuster films including Mamma Mia and Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire.

He regularly takes classes at Greenwich Dance Agency and during rehearsals for the show he has to dance six days a week from 10am to 6pm.

Mr Franzen said: “I'm really looking forward to working with a lot of choreographers I haven't worked with before and to work with a different one each week.

“I've danced on TV shows before but it's never been about the dancers in such a way this show is going to be. That's very exciting.”