BBC Radio 2 DJ and The One Show presenter Richie Anderson will soon take to the dance floor as part of Strictly Come Dancing 2022 – and he’s now spoken about his decision to be partnered with a male professional dancer on the show.
Anderson was speaking with RadioTimes.com and other press ahead of the new season starting when he revealed that he was given the option of whether he wanted to dance with a man or woman when he was asked to appear on the show.
He revealed: “They said, ‘We’re booking you and it’s up to you whether you want to dance with a man or woman.’ And I went home and I spoke to my other half, and this year is our 10-year anniversary.
“And he was like, ‘You’ve got to do it. You’ve got to go out there and dance with a man,’ and he said, ‘How would you feel, you know, throwing one of the women up in the air? You’d probably injure them.’
“So it was a no brainer, really. It’s such an honour and watching John and Johannes last year and Nicola and Katya the year before – they were majestic.”
5, 6, 7, 8! @richie_anderson is ready to bring the Steps to #Strictly ???? pic.twitter.com/yNqvtyNpsd
— BBC Strictly ✨ (@bbcstrictly) September 2, 2022
Anderson went on to talk about how “inspired” he was by John and Johannes and Nicola and Katya’s partnerships on the show, with the former couple becoming runners-up in 2021 and the latter having to withdraw due to a COVID-19 diagnosis in 2020.
Anderson said: “I wish for me as a gay teenager growing up, I would have had that representation on television. I wish when I was growing up I could have switched on primetime television on a Saturday night and saw two men dancing together. And it’s honestly inspired me – John and Johannes and Nicola and Katya are one of the reasons I’m doing it this year, I’m so inspired by them.”
Anderson joins fellow celebs Will Mellor, Kym Marsh, Kaye Adams, Jayde Adams, Ellie Simmonds, Tyler West, Matt Goss, Ellie Taylor, Molly Rainford, Tony Adams MBE, Fleur East, Hamza Yassin, James Bye and Helen Skelton in taking part the show’s 20th season.
Additional reporting by Lauren Morris.
Strictly Come Dancing will return to BBC One at 6:10pm on Saturday 17th September. Find something to watch with our TV Guide or visit our Entertainment hub for all the latest news.
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