Strictly Come Dancing is getting a new same-sex dancing team!
The official 2022 line-up of the popular British celebrity dance competition has been released. Among the new group of famous faces is former Sunday League footballer Richie Anderson. The former Coombs Wood F.C. player-turned-personality on BBC Radio 2 is set to dance for the glitterball trophy. Even better, he’ll have a male dance partner.
Commenting on the news, Anderson said on Twitter: “This is a dream come true! I cannot wait to get in those sparkles and sequins and shimmy across the most famous dance floor in the world!
He added, “Strictly is the ultimate feel good show, as soon as I hear that iconic theme tune it’s just pure escapism. I’m going to have to cancel my legendary Strictly launch night kitchen party that I throw every year, I’m sure my friends and family will understand.”
“It’s also a massive honour to be part of an all-male dance partnership, it’s so important we have that inclusion on such a huge show,” Anderson remarked.
Can’t believe I’m typing this 🥺
I’M GOING TO BE ON STRICTLY COME DANCING 2022 💃🏻🕺🎩🌈🪩
My dream has come true ❤️ I can’t wait to get in the Iconic ballroom. Good luck to my pro partner as my dancing skills have previously been compared to Bambi on ice 😂 bring it on 💥 https://t.co/PcdWLS5nUl
— Richie Anderson (@richie_anderson) August 5, 2022
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Anderson came out as gay in 2018 as part of a film for BBC’s The One Show. The film highlighted the pressures of homophobia in the sport.
Right now, we don’t know who will be dancing with Anderson. But we do know the announcement for the pro dancers will come out sometime closer to the season premiere date.
This isn’t the first time that Strictly Come Dancing has had a same-sex dancing duo. Last year, John Whaite and Johannes Rabede became the first same-sex male team on Strictly Come Dancing. Even better, that pair made it all the way to the finale… before losing to Rose Ayling-Ellis and Giovanni Pernice. But getting that representation throughout the entire season is priceless in its own way!
Will Anderson and his unannounced teammate have a similar trajectory? Will they even (dare we say it?) win? We’ll find out when Strictly Come Dancing season 20 premieres on the BBC on September 10.
I never understood why these dancing shows don’t have gay dancers dance with guys since they are not romantically or sexually attracted to women aside from blatant homophobia and throwing them in the closet for the straight a-holes who can’t handle gay people. BTW I’ve been a professional dancer for 10 years and 90% of male dancers are gay so enough pairing them with women! Time for us to be authentic and real!