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“Dancing With the Stars” revealed on Thursday, August 26 that for season 30 the show will feature its first same-sex couple in the show’s history. The announcement came during the 2021 TCA virtual summer press tour Q&A with the show’s host and executive producer Tyra Banks and executive producer Andrew Llinares when the show revealed the first two celebrity contestants for season 30 — gymnast Suni Lee and singer JoJo Siwa.
JoJo Siwa Will Be Partnered With a Female Pro
During the TCA Q&A, Llinares said the show was proud to announce that one of the first celebrities revealed for season 30 is JoJo Siwa and that she will be dancing with a female partner.
“We are so, so excited for JoJo, that you’re doing this,” said Llinares.
Siwa added that it will be full of scary new questions, but she is so excited about doing this and what it represents.
“I’m excited that I get to do it. I think it’s cool, I think it breaks … a wall that’s never been broken down before,” said Siwa. “It’s normal for a girl to dance with a guy and I think that that’s really cool, but I think that it’s really special that I get to share with the world that you get to love who you want to love, but I [also] get to share with the world that you get to dance with who you want to dance with.”
She added that she and her partner will have to figure things out, like who gets to lead? What do you wear? Are your dance moves more limited?
“It’s going to be tricky, but it’s gonna give so much to people out there, people of the LGBTQ community, everyone that feels a little different,” said Siwa. “It’s going to give them a sense of ‘wait a second, a girl can dance with a girl?!’ … why not?!”
She continued, “When you’re little, you know if you’re gay. You don’t really think anything of it as a 7-year-old, but you just somehow know, and me partnering with another female on this show … it’s not, ‘Oh, I have to be with a boy.’ It’s not ‘normal’ to be with a boy, it’s normal to be with anybody, a human. I’m just so happy, I’m so happy.”
Host Banks added that this move will be “life-changing for so many people” because Siwa is so young and such a role model.
“I’m so proud of you and I’m so proud of the show for giving you a platform to do this,” said Banks.
This is the first same-sex couple on “Dancing WIth the Stars” in the U.S., but it is not the first worldwide. The British version, “Strictly Come Dancing,” has had a same-sex pairing between two women and the Australian version had a same-sex pairing between a male pro and a drag queen named Courtney Act (offstage name Shane Gilberto Jenek).
U.S. pro Gleb Savchenko has been vocal about his support of a same-sex couple, telling Mr. Warburton Magazine earlier this year that he “can’t wait” for the season they have a same-sex couple. In fact, he said he pitched it in season 29 between himself and figure skater Johnny Weir.
Siwa Has Three Pros She Hopes Will Be Her Partner
Siwa said there are “so many” incredible dancers on the show, but she has three professional dancers in mind as to who she would love to be paired with.
“I think Lindsay [Arnold] is awesome. Jenna [Johnson] is incredible. Britt [Stewart] is amazing. I think if I got one of those three, I would be so happy,” said Siwa.
She also said that her girlfriend, Kylie Prew, is incredibly supportive of the whole endeavor.
“I brought it up to her really early on … I remember being like, ‘OK, so on ‘Dancing With the Stars,’ you’re dancing together and I’m going to be dancing with another girl, but I need you to know that it means nothing. It’s completely platonic. You are my girlfriend, you are my love, but the chemistry will be there,'” said Siwa.
“She was like, ‘Love, you are going to be incredible and what you’re doing with another girl, doing this on this show, is so groundbreaking and I’m so proud of you for it. I can’t wait to watch every single week.’ She has been nonstop supportive,” added Siwa.
The rest of the season 30 cast will be announced on September 8 on “Good Morning America.”
“Dancing With the Stars” season 30 premieres Monday, September 20, 2021, at 8 p.m. Eastern and Pacific times on ABC.
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