[2][3] His mother enrolled him at an early age with Geraldine Lamb Dance School, where he studied tap and jazz, wanting to be the next Gene Kelly or Fred Astaire rather than a ballet dancer.

As a result, many roles were created for him by noted choreographers, including Frederick Ashton, Kenneth MacMillan, Ninette de Valois, Joe Layton, Rudolf Nureyev, Gillian Lynne and John Neumeier.

[clarification needed] He was the subject of This Is Your Life in 1981 when he was surprised by Eamonn Andrews following a performance of the musical Cats at the New London Theatre.

[citation needed] Sleep is remembered for having danced with Diana, Princess of Wales at the annual Christmas party of the Friends of Covent Garden at the Royal Opera House in 1985.

completed a tour of Magic of the Musicals with Marti Webb and Robert Meadmore, as well as appearing as a judge on BBC One's Strictly Dance Fever.

In January 2011, Sleep featured on British reality cooking show Come Dine with Me, with presenter Terry Christian, Labour MP Diane Abbott and model Danielle Lloyd.

In August 2013, Sleep joined ITV's dance show, Stepping Out as a judge with Melanie Brown and Jason Gardiner.

Sleep also appeared in the BBC miniseries that followed a group of celebrity pensioners on a journey to India, The Real Marigold Hotel, broadcast from January to February in 2016.

In January 2018 Sleep entered the British version of Celebrity Big Brother, making the final and finishing in fifth place.

When Michael (Simon Greenall)'s Americanophile friend Tex (Peter Serafinowicz) mentions that "[my idol] has gotta be Wayne", Alan Partridge (Steve Coogan) mistakenly concludes he means Sleep.

The diminutive and frizz-haired Green Wing character Martin Dear (played by Karl Theobald) refers to Sleep as the celebrity to whom he was most flattered to have his appearance compared.

On 26 February 2023, he was the subject of a broadcast in the Private Passions series on BBC Radio 3, discussing his personal and professional life interspersed with relevant musical recordings.

His charity, the Wayne Sleep Foundation, helps students who have successfully gained a place at a performing arts vocational college.

[19] Sleep is an ambassador for Prostate Cancer UK and the Royal Voluntary Service as well as supporting the Terrence Higgins Trust and other charities.