“I’m from Glasgow,” he says, with a short laugh. “I was back in the city recently and couple of guys shouted at me in the street, ‘oi, Ross the Boss? We’ve seen you in the clubs – nae dancing …”
Ross – former Radio Clyde DJ, TV presenter, author, actor – is Scotland’s next great hope on the famous dance show.
Ross at a charity event in Glasgow (Image: Gary Brown)
“I’m terrified, I’m excited, I can’t wait,” he says, with a nervous laugh. “I’ll just do my best and try not to let Scotland down.”
Ross, who is 63, joins the likes of former England rugby captain Chris Robshaw, 39, La Voix, 45, star of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK and broadcaster Dani Dyer, 29, daughter of ex-EastEnders star Danny, in Strictly this year.
Is his dancing up to scratch?
“I’m very good at the Slosh,” he jokes. “And they’ve never done a ceilidh on Strictly, can you believe it? I’m determined to get some Scottish country dancing in there, because it will remind me of my schooldays in Glasgow.”
Ross with sister Elaine and parents Isabel and David (Image: Courtesy of Ross King)
Ross, sister Elaine, mother Isabel and father David lived in Knightswood. David was a chartered engineer, Isabel looked after the home and her family: decidedly “unshowbizzy”, agrees King, who says that nevertheless, the desire to perform was in his make-up from an early age.
“It came from being a failed footballer, I think,” he says. “Bertie Auld at Partick Thistle [where Ross was a promising youth player] telling me I’d wear out more mirrors than football boots made me realise perhaps this was not the world for me.”
He worked in hospital radio before getting the Radio Clyde Saturday boy job.
Ross King (Image: Newsquest)
“It was a brilliant grounding,” he says. “And to work for Tiger Tim Stevens? I was lucky to get to the kind of level I got to, but nobody was as big as the Tiger at Clyde in those days.
“He gave me my nickname, in fact – Ross the Boss – when I was a kid helping on his show. It just stuck.”
(Image: Newsquest)
After becoming Britain’s youngest-ever daytime host with his show on Clyde at the age of 17, Ross moved to London and enjoyed high profile presenting roles on the likes of Pebble Mill and Young Krypton Factor.
He also acted in the West End, and in movies, including The Day After Tomorrow and Young Hercules.
Ross moved to Los Angeles in 2000, from where he now reports on the glamorous world of showbiz for daytime ITV show Lorraine.
He “pops home” to Glasgow a couple of times a year, to visit his sister Elaine, brother-in-law Jim and niece and nephew Hollie and Euan.
“Also, my dentist is still in Glasgow,” he says, with a grin. “And my hairdresser. I know, people in LA think that’s wild.”
Ross has interviewed some of the biggest names in Hollywood including Brad Pitt and Clint Eastwood. When Olly Murs had to pull out of supporting Take That in Glasgow, Gary Barlow called Ross for help. (He was in the Radisson hotel’s bar at the time, listening to young singer Daniel Rooney, so luckily for Rooney, he got the gig.)
(Image: Newsquest)
In 2018, he celebrated being awarded an MBE in the Honours List for services to broadcasting and charity with a party in Glasgow. Jason Donovan popped in, so too did King’s mentor and friend Tiger Tim Stevens, comedian and actor Allan Stewart and businessman Tom Hunter.
(Image: PA)
Ross has many fond memories of Glasgow – the times he gigged on the paddle steamer Waverley (“I used to shout daft things, like ‘the duty free is now open, or ‘taxi for Smith’); performing at the King’s Theatre; creating the city’s first under-18 club nights.
“Me and Gary Marshall, the Sunshine Boys, at Henry Afrika’s,” he says, with a grin. “I remember saying to them, you should do some early Sunday nights, get the kids in, serve them ginger.”
He laughs. “They said it would never work, but that first night we were driving up York Street and the queues were already round the block.”
(Image: BBC)
The city is still “home”, says Ross and he clearly misses his parents, both now sadly deceased.
“My mum and dad were the most supportive, loving parents,” he says, gently. “My mum was so full of energy. And she was very ‘Glasgow’ about things.
“I remember calling her to tell her I was appearing on Celebrity Squares, which was huge Saturday night television in those days.
“She said ‘oh, that’s great, son, I hope you win the car.’”
King snorts with laughter. “I had to say, no, mum, I’m one of the celebrities,” he says.
“My sister and I speak about our parents all the time and we always end up laughing about the things they said, the silliness of it all.”
He smiles. “They taught us life is a serious business, but sometimes you just have to have a laugh.”
Strictly Come Dancing will launch on BBC One and BBC iPlayer on Saturday, September 20.