Yahoo Finance Strictly Come Dancing 2021: John Whaite to be in first all-male partnership
Strictly Come Dancing will have its first all-male partnership with John Whaite, the fourth celebrity to join the 2021 line-up.
The 2012 Bake Off winner described his partnership as "a great step forward in representation and inclusion".
He will follow in the footsteps of boxer Nicola Adams, who became the first celebrity to have a same-sex pairing when she was partnered with pro-dancer Katya Jones.
John's pro-dancer partner has yet to be announced.
"Whoever it is I'm paired with, I hope they are up for a challenge as I want our routines to include lots of spectacular lifts!" he said in a statement to the BBC.
Tom Fletcher, actor Robert Webb, and TV presenter AJ Odudu were the first celebrities to be confirmed for Strictly on BBC One's The One Show last night (Wednesday, August 5).
Fans already think Peep Show's Robert could be the one to watch after he won 2009's Comic Relief special Let's Dance with his show-stopping performance of 'What a Feeling'.
This year's competition will be back for a full-length series, with 15 celebrity contestants battling it out for the coveted Glitterball Trophy.
Themed weeks will also return, although Blackpool week - where the semi-finalists perform at the iconic Blackpool Tower - will be cancelled for a second consecutive year due to the pandemic.
Other changes to show include Anton Du Beke hanging up his dancing shoes after 17 years to join the panel of judges - Shirley Ballas, Motsi Mabuse and Craig Revel Horwood.
Janette Manrara will also be leaving the dancing line-up to co-host Strictly's BBC Two sister show It Takes Two with Rylan Clark. Poland's Jowita Przystal, Ukraine's Nikita Kuzmin, South Africa's Cameron Lombard and the UK's Kai Widdrington will be joining the pro-dancers.
Four down, eleven more to go!
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