John Whaite has told how he expected to be a target of trolls for being part of the first same-sex male Strictly partnership… but was instead met by a positive reaction.
The Bake Off star turned TV chef revealed he was pleasantly surprised by the response.
John, 32, said: “The reaction has been so positive. I genuinely did think I was going to receive a fair bit of hate in my inbox because you do as a gay man, you get a lot of hate. It’s something you grow up and you learn to deal with.
“Shouldn’t have to, but we do. And I can honestly say that I haven’t had a single message of negativity.”
The enormity of what John was doing struck him as he spoke to Matt Lucas on Radio 2 to reveal he was going to be a Strictly contestant.
He said: “I realised how important a step forward this is.
“Because kids who watch the show, to have same sex role models, it’ll give them a little bit of hope for the future. It won’t make them grow up with the same shame that I grew up with.
“It’s not just about queer people. It’s about intimacy generally. Two men, whether they’re straight or gay, can be intimate with each other. I hope this comes to show that it breaks down that notion of toxic masculinity, which is so rife, especially in Britain.
“If you look at Europe, people are much more intimate with each other there. So why can’t we have that here?”
On this weekend’s Strictly launch celebs will be paired with their pro partners. And John is hoping he gets South African Johannes Radebe, who danced with Caroline Quentin last year.
He said: “It has to be Johannes. It’d be really important for him to have the first all-male couple, it would be a really powerful message for him as well. That’s not to say in the future it has to be two gay men.”
John told how he is looking forward most to dances that are filled with passion. He said: “I want to learn a really intense samba and really go for it. Or a rumba.
“I want to do the queerest outfits possible. I want mesh. I want sequins. I want everything on the show basically. I want to be as glamorous as possible.”
John, who won Bake Off in 2012, said he has no fear of criticism from the judges. He added: “Listen, if you can survive Paul Hollywood, you can survive Craig Revel Horwood.”
*Strictly Come Dancing, BBC1, Saturday, 7.45pm.
