Strictly Come Dancing: Ex-boxer Nicola Adams to have same-sex dance partner - BBC News
Olympic boxer Nicola Adams will form Strictly Come Dancing's first competitive same-sex pairing.
Nicola Adams won gold medals at the Olympics in 2012 and 2016

Olympic boxer Nicola Adams will make Strictly Come Dancing history by becoming the first contestant to be part of a same-sex pairing.

She told BBC Breakfast she was the one who suggested having a female partner when producers asked her to take part.

"I think it's really important," she said. "It's definitely time for change.

"It's definitely time to move on and be more diverse, and this is a brilliant step in the right direction." Her dance partner has not yet been revealed.

Adams said she didn't mind who she's paired up with, but added: "I'd only be wanting somebody who's maybe a little bit on the short side because I'm a little bit small."

She told Breakfast: "It will be nice for the LGBT community to be able to see there are same-sex couples on the show as well."

This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.

Adams won a gold medal for Great Britain at the London 2012 Olympics, and again in Rio in 2016. She retired from the sport last year.

Asked whether the idea to have a female partner came from her or the show's producers, she explained: "I asked the show about it. They wanted to know if I wanted to be on the show and I said, 'Yeah, I'll do it, but I want to dance with another female dance partner.'"

This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Strictly Come Dancing professionals Johannes and Graziano dance together

Strictly has previously featured two male professionals dancing together in a one-off routine, when Johannes Radebe and Graziano di Prima performed to Emeli Sande's Shine last year.

Some applauded the show for the routine, but the BBC received 189 complaints from viewers who found it offensive.

Adams will be the first celebrity to be part of a same-sex couple in the BBC One show's 16-year history.

Singer Will Young, who took part in Strictly in 2016, welcomed the news. "I think it's fantastic, as long as it's done in the right way and it's not done in a sensationalised way, in a sort of cursory way, which I'm sure it won't be," he told Breakfast.

Those applauding the move on Twitter included 2018 Strictly champion Stacey Dooley, fellow former contestant Dr Ranj Singh, and ice skater Matt Evers.

This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Stacey Dooley This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.

This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 2 by Clare Balding This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.

This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 3 by Matt Evers This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.

Earlier this year, Evers was part of the first same-sex couple on ITV's Dancing On Ice, along with pop star Ian Watkins - better known as H from Steps.

In July, there were reports that Westlife star Mark Feehily would be part of a same-sex pairing on Strictly this year. So far, six celebrities have been confirmed.

Adams will join Clara Amfo, Max George, Ranvir Singh, Caroline Quentin and Jason Bell on the dancefloor.

"I can't dance at all, so this is going to be a totally new challenge for me," Adams said. "The only thing I've been doing is TikToks, and that's about as far as my dancing goes."

The 18th series of Strictly will begin in October but will be shorter than usual, and judge Bruno Tonioli will have a reduced role amid coronavirus restrictions.

Follow us on Facebook, or on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.