Nicole Scherzinger has described how she nearly rejected her role in ABC's remake of Dirty Dancing because her family is so strongly pro-life.

The former Pussycat Dolls singer is set to play Penny Johnson in the remake of the classic 1987 movie but nearly turned down the role because the character has an illegal abortion.  

Scherzinger told the Daily Mail her family is "really hardcore" against abortion because her mother fell pregnant with her when she was just 17. 

"My mum got pregnant with me when she was 17 and had me when she was 18. She chose," said the star, who was raised a Catholic.  "Her parents were never going to let her have an abortion. So I came out, so I just want to you know encourage everybody to keep your babies."

The 38-year-old beauty reveals she nearly didn't take the role because she feared it could be taken as an endorsement for abortion.  

She said: "I was like a crazy thing because, my family, my papa's a bishop and my family's really hardcore against abortion.

"So I got the role and I almost didn't take it because I didn't want to promote abortion, because my character has an abortion."

In the end, she accepted the role after her family prayed about it and decided that it could send a positive message. 

She said her grandfather, also a preacher, told her after praying about it that playing Penny was something she was "meant to do".

"We decided that maybe I could be a voice, that I could shed some light on the subject without being preachy," said the singer.

The character of Penny Johnson was played in the 1987 original by Cynthia Rhodes.  Also starring in the TV adaptation are Abigail Breslin as Baby Houseman and Debra Messing as her mother Marjorie.   The air date has not yet been confirmed.