Television
Watch ‘Strictly Come Dancing’s Historic Same-Sex Routine
Next up, having one actually be a part of the competition.
November 04 2019 11:50 AM EST
November 06 2019 5:19 AM EST
MikelleStreet
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Next up, having one actually be a part of the competition.
After rumors, and much discussion, two featured performers on Strictly Come Dancing performed in a same-sex coupling. For a portion of the performance, they were the only performers on the floor, making the move historic.
On Sunday, Johannes Radebe and Graziano di Prima danced during a live performance of Emeli Sande's "Shine." The performance starts with the duet, and then they are joined by another couple on the floor.
\u201cMaking the #Strictly Ballroom Shine even more than usual (if that's possible!), put your hands together for @emelisande. \ud83d\udc4f\u2728\u201d— BBC Strictly \u2728 (@BBC Strictly \u2728) 1572809757
This is not the first same-sex pairing on the show; in 2018 the series featured pairings in an opening performance. There AJ Pritchard was matched with Pasha Kovalev while Karen Clifton was paired with another female dancer. They performed in a large group.
Radebe, who is gay, told Hello! Magazine that he had "never felt so liberated. For the first time in my life, I feel accepted for who I am." Radebe has previously spoken about homophobic abuse he's suffered.
"There's bromance galore between us, but there were no male and female roles, just free movement," Radebe said. "It was beautiful, classy and elegant."
Di Prima tweeted a clip of the moment. "Representation always matters," he wrote. "Unforgettable moment, loved to dance with you Johannes Radebe."
\u201cREPRESENTATION always matters!\ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08\nunforgettable moment,\nloved to dance with you \n@johannesradebe \n@bbcstrictly\u201d— Graziano Di Prima (@Graziano Di Prima) 1572821169
The duet was a return for Radebe who had been voted off the show with his partner, Catherine Tyldsley, the week before.
The move comes after multiple calls for same-sex representation on the show. Still, it was not a dance that was scored for competition. Though Dancing With the Stars in the U.S., Australia, and Israel have crossed that line with Nyle DiMarco, Courtney Act, and Gili Shem Tov respectively, the U.K.'s Strictly is lagging behind.
Mikelle is the former editorial director of digital for PrideMedia, guiding digital editorial and social across Out, The Advocate, Pride.com, Out Traveler, and Plus. After starting as a freelancer for Out in 2013, he joined the staff as Senior Editor working across print and digital in 2018. In early 2021 he became Out's digital director, marking a pivot to content that centered queer and trans stories and figures, exclusively. In September 2021, he was promoted to editorial director of PrideMedia. He has written cover stories on Ricky Martin, Miss Fame, Nyle DiMarco, Jeremy O. Harris, Law Roach, and Symone.
Mikelle is the former editorial director of digital for PrideMedia, guiding digital editorial and social across Out, The Advocate, Pride.com, Out Traveler, and Plus. After starting as a freelancer for Out in 2013, he joined the staff as Senior Editor working across print and digital in 2018. In early 2021 he became Out's digital director, marking a pivot to content that centered queer and trans stories and figures, exclusively. In September 2021, he was promoted to editorial director of PrideMedia. He has written cover stories on Ricky Martin, Miss Fame, Nyle DiMarco, Jeremy O. Harris, Law Roach, and Symone.