Strictly Come Dancing is set to make history when Olympic boxer Nicola Adams pairs with a female professional dancer to compete on the show.
The BBC dancing competition has never featured a same-sex pairing since its debut in 2004, but that is about to change this year.
Nicola Adams OBE is a British former boxer who competed in the London 2012 and Rio 2016 Olympics before retiring last year. She came out as bisexual around four years ago.
Adams has said she suggested having a female dancing partner to show producers because it is really important and “definitely time for change.”
“It’s time to move on and be more diverse, and this is a brilliant step in the right direction.”
Former contestants and fans have applauded the move, with many expressing their joy on Twitter.
The decision comes after ITV’s Dancing On Ice made headlines earlier this year for featuring Steps band member Ian ‘H’ Watkins and Matt Evers as their first same-sex pairing.
Strictly will return to our screens in October with a shorter production length due to coronavirus restrictions.