According to a report the pairing will take to the floor next month.
Serena SonomaStrictly Come Dancing is planning a same-sex dance duet with two of it’s professional dancers according to a report by The Sun.
Graziano Di Prima, 25 and Johannes Radebe, 32 will perform a romantic number together to Emeli Sandé’s track Shine on the BBC show on Sunday, November 3 according to an anonymous source.
The show saw a dance with same-sex pairings during one of the professional numbers last year, which marked the first same-sex dancers to be featured, however Graziano and Johannes will make the first same-sex lead dancers in a number on the show.
The planned performance comes a week after Dancing on Icemade history by announcing they were doing the same thing with pro skater Matt Evers and Former Steps star Ian ‘H’ Watkins, both 43, performing together on the upcoming skating show.
A source told The Sun that Graziano and Johannes pairing was a “brave move”: “It’s a brave move for the Beeb and will break boundaries but bosses are under a lot of pressure,” they said.
“There have been calls for same-sex pro and celebrity pairings. This is an ideal way to integrate that.
“It will hopefully pave the way for a same-sex couple next year. It’s a step in the right direction for making the show even more diverse.”
For context, shows likeDancing With the Stars have already incorporated same-sex pairings. Nyle Dimarco’s time on the show brought its first couple stateside, while Courtney Act did the same in Australia.
Several of Strictly’s former contestants have supported the idea in the past, including Dr. Ranj Singh who said he ‘would love to dance with a same-sex partner,’ last year in the show’s sixteenth series. This season also features noted ally and longtime RuPaul’s Drag Race judge Michelle Visage, who is doing quite well in the competition. She, came out in favor of same-sex pairing earlier this month.
“Everybody should be doing this,” she told The Sun. “It’s not about shoving things down people’s throats, it’s about teaching them this is love, too. It’s the year 2019.”
Still, even after this rumored performance, the show still will have at least one more step to cross: allowing a same-sex pairing to compete. Earlier this year, the BBC said they were open to the idea. "We are completely open to the prospect of including same-sex pairings between our celebrities and professional dancers in the future, should the opportunity arise,” a spokesperson said in a statement to Metro.
Strictly Come Dancing’scurrent season airs on Sundays at 7pm on BBC and can be streamed online.
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