Courtney Act wants to be the first drag act on Strictly Come Dancing
The Celebrity Big Brother winner insisted she would have a male dance partner
By Steve Brown
Courtney Act wants to be the first drag contestant on Strictly Come Dancing.
The former Attitude cover star – who shot to fame on RuPaul’s Drag Race then went on to win Celebrity Big Brother this year – wants to make history by being the first drag act on the hit BBC show and insisted she would have a male partner.
Act – whose real name is Shane Jenek – told the Daily Star: “I hope the BBC would be open to it. They love a stunt casting. Surely it’s time for the BBC to do it?
“I would want to be Courtney and dance with a male partner. And then half way through the series I’d come out as Shane and there would finally be same-sex dancing on the show.
“I’ve seen same-sex ballroom dancing and it’s just fabulous.”
Talk of same-sex couples for LGBT+ contestants on the BBC dancing series has swirled in recent years.
Chatter became more intense last year, after contestant Susan Calman, who is openly gay, spoke about being partnered with a male dancer.
In a new interview, professional dancer Aljaž spoke out about the debate for the first time, and revealed that he doesn’t care whether he’s partnered with a man or a woman.
And even Strictly Come Dancing head judge Shirley Ballas said she’s all for same-sex couples competing on the BBC latin and ballroom dancing competition after two men made the final of the Italian version of the show.
Ballas, 57, admitted she “couldn’t think of anything more exciting” after Giovanni Ciacci, an Italian beauty expert, made the final of Ballando Con Le Stelle with his professional partner Raimondo Todaro.
