A same-sex couple danced for the first time on the UK’s Dancing with the Stars clone Strictly Come Dancing in a non-competition dance between two male professionals.
Johannes Radebe and Graziano di Prima danced together as Emile Sande performed “Shine”.
Said Radebe: “I’ve never felt so liberated. For the first time in my life, I feel accepted for who I am. That says so much about the people of this country. To be able to dance with a friend I respect and adore is joyous. There’s bromance galore between us, but there were no male and female roles, just free movement. It was beautiful, classy and elegant.”
The two dancers posted about the moment on social media.
The BBC adds: “Strictly has yet to feature a same-sex competing pair but Dancing on Ice has paired H from Steps with professional skater Matt Evers in the next series of the ITV show early next year.”
Radebe spoke to Gay Times about the experience, his career, and queer representation: “I stuck around and it happened early on in my career, and I turned into a championship dancer ahead of my years. I was encouraged and nurtured and this is how it all came about because people saw that there was something in me. Doing it, I fell in love with it but dance was special because it was my refuge. Eventually I ended up going there because I felt safe. It wasn’t even a matter of enjoying it all, dance was where I could be like… me. … I felt like I was more seen. There was no bullying, no name calling. Dance was a safe place for me, from home or from school. Whatever I was going through, I would go to dance. It would help me get away from it all.”
