It’s Strictly tradition with no plans for same-sex couples on BBC show
THE BBC has stressed there are “no plans” to introduce same-sex couples to Strictly Come Dancing as the hit series has become embroiled in controversy centred on its gay contestants.
Contestant the Rev Richard Coles argued it made “no sense” that anyone would resist having dancers of the same gender taking to the floor together in the programme.
Coles, who was one half of the 1980s band the Communards, is in a same-sex marriage and is among the 15 contestants taking part in this year’s edition of Strictly Come Dancing, which started on Saturday.
He has been paired to dance with Dianne Buswell, but told Digital Spy he had “a discussion” with bosses on the show about having same-sex couples taking part.
Coles was speaking after fellow contestant Susan Calman, who is a lesbian, was criticised on social media for not having a female professional partner.
He told the website: “It makes absolutely no sense that anybody resists the idea, in principle. It’s just a question of doing it. I think this year would be a good year to do it actually, with the 50th anniversary of the Sexual Offences Act (which decriminalised sex between two men aged more than 21).”
A spokeswoman for the BBC said: “Strictly has chosen the traditional format of mixed-sex couples and at the moment we have no plans to introduce samesex couples in the competition.”
Comedian Calman said she had considered dancing with a woman, but it was her choice to dance with a man.
Meanwhile, the BBC show triumphed over The X Factor in the ratings on Saturday night as it launched to 8.8m viewers.