Aimee Walker
Strictly Come Dancing has returned with its first all-male pairing, but a small minority of viewers have said they won’t be watching as a result.
During Saturday night’s launch, GBBO winner John Whaite was partnered with pro-dancer Johannes Radebe.
Despite many viewers praising the show for improving its diversity, a few took to Twitter to call the pairing ‘immoral’.
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One person commented: “Is the BBC ‘Strictly Immoral Come Dancing’ at risk of being axed?
“It would be so exciting to see the back of that ‘ugly-freaky’ couple.
“Let them go BBC, do the right and kick this all-male couple out of the show in order to protect children. “
Another wrote: “I’m sure this comment will cause howls of anger, but I won’t be watching Strictly Come Dancing, this season until any same-gender dancers are eliminated.
“I really don’t care what people do in private why should I? I just don’t want to watch it. #WokeBBC driving an agenda.”
However, most viewers clapped back at the comments, including ex-contestant Catherine Tyldesley.
She said: “May you find peace and light someday. You must be deeply unhappy in yourself and I will pray for you, sir.”
Speaking on the launch night, John said it was a ‘massive honour’ to be part of Strictly’s first-ever all-male couple.
He said: “If I’d seen two lads or lasses dancing together on Saturday night TV and nobody made a fuss about it, I don’t think I’d have grown up with quite so much shame for being gay.
“I just hope there are kids out there watching who don’t even question it, who watch it and think, I am who I am and I’m comfortable with that.”
The majority welcomed the move, praising the show for its improvement in diversity and described anyone who had a problem with the pairing as ‘homophobes’.
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