Dr Christian Jessen: Same-sex dance couples on Strictly would look ‘silly’
Dr Christian Jessen has weighed in on plans for same-sex dance couples on Strictly Come Dancing.
To date, only opposite-sex couples have competed in the popular BBC dance show, which pairs celebrities up with professional dancers – but judge Craig Revel Horwood recently suggested changes will take place over the next two seasons to remove the gender rules.
Professional dancer James Jordan – who was dropped from the show last year – rallied against the move, claimed: “It’s wrong. I think they would lose so many viewers.”
According to Female First, Embarrassing Bodies host Dr Christian Jessen – who is openly gay – weighed in against the plans.
He said: “I think dancing traditionally is a man leading a woman.
“I think it’ll look faintly ridiculous personally. But I don’t think that’s any sort of statement of, ‘We don’t approve of this, that or the other’ at all. I just think it’ll look silly quite frankly, and I think a man and a woman look better dancing together.”
Of his own chances of being on the show, he said: “As a gay man I’m an appalling dancer, which I know just doesn’t fit with the stereotype. But I’m really, really … I’m clunky and gangly and awful.”
He added: “I think it becomes a little bit too political sometimes and I think if you wave that flag a little bit too hard you’re in danger of knocking people over whilst you do so.
“I don’t care in the slightest about that, I’m quite happy to see a gay man dancing with a woman. I mean, come on, it’s like saying as a gay man you’re not allowed to have female friends. There are limits I think to how far we take it.”
