Strictly Come Dancing set to feature its first-ever all-male pairing

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Strictly Come Dancing is reportedly set to feature its very first same-sex male pairing in the upcoming series.

Tom Daley and Alan Carr are among the famous faces who have been approached to make up the pairing, according to The Sun.

And the publication also claims whichever celebrity has been signed up will be partnered with Graziano Di Prima, after the dancer, 27, impressed bosses with his powerful performance with co-star Johannes Radebe, 34. 

A source told the paper: ‘The bosses are thrilled Strictly will be able to show its first all-male couple this year.

‘And they have their sights firmly on Graziano. There is no reason why a gay celebrity should automatically be paired with a gay dancer.’

The Italian star, who is engaged to dancer Giada Lini, and Johannes became the first professionals on the show to perform a same-sex couple dance back in 2019.  

The couple received rave reviews when they danced together during Emile Sande’s performance.

But in the days that followed, the routine led to nearly 300 complaints however a report for the BBC later revealed the complaints wouldn’t be upheld.

Previously speaking about the backlash, Graziano told Attitude Magazine: ‘We weren’t worried about it, OK, there were 200 complaints, but there were millions of people writing to us, sending us videos saying thank you and celebrating our friendship.’  

Tom Daley, who is one of the names rumoured to have been signed up for the show, spoke earlier this year and admitted that he ‘might’ve come out as gay earlier’ had he not lived his life in the public eye.

In April 2014 the Olympic diver, 26, confirmed his sexuality in an emotional YouTube video to fans, released four months after he originally came out as bisexual.

And this year, Tom – who shares son Robert Ray with husband Dustin Lance Black, 46 – told Attitude Magazine his life in media spotlight prevented him coming out sooner.

The diver posed shirtless with fellow diver Matty Lee, 23, for a new cover shoot as he got candid about becoming famous at a young age, after winning his first World Championships Win, aged just 15, in 2009.

Asked if he regrets having so much of his life in the public eye, Tom insisted: ‘I don’t think I’d ever regret it. It is what it is. I share what I’d like to share, and that’s all of what’s on my social media and things like that.

‘At the end of the day, I’ve lived with it from such a young age, I don’t feel any different for it, if that makes sense? And I don’t know any different…

‘I don’t think I would have done anything differently, actually. I always think that I might’ve come out earlier, but then there was also a time for me to experiment and actually figure out who I am.

‘I didn’t want to have to go through all of that in the public eye, so I think doing it the way I did was the best way for me to do it.’

Alan has also previously spoken about his sexuality, previously appearing on Radio 4’s Front Row last year.

During his appearance, Alan said he isn’t ‘totally comfortable’ about being gay.

He added: ‘I mean, I remember when I came out it was really hard and awkward and uncomfortable. My dad was, and still is, is involved in football. 

‘He’s a football manager, this tough-talking Geordie, there’s no homosexuality ever in the family tree and then I came along.’ 

MailOnline has approached representatives of Strictly Come Dancing, Alan Carr and Tom Daley for comment. 

The move follows the success of the last series, which saw boxer Nicola Adams and Katya Jones team up in the first-ever all-female pairing.

It comes after it was revealed things will be back to normal in the 2021 series following disruptions due to Covid in the last series- apart from one or two factors still deemed too tricky to navigate amid the global health crisis.

Show boss Sarah James has told The Mirror: ‘We’re so thrilled that Strictly will be returning for a full-length series this year, and know how much viewers are looking forward to getting their full Strictly fix and seeing the return of much-loved specials.

‘We are all so sad that we won’t be able to get to Blackpool this year but can’t wait to be back dancing at the one and only Blackpool Tower Ballroom in the future.’

The Blackpool episode ordinarily takes place near the end of the series, but was axed last year with restrictions throwing up logistical difficulties on the production.

But 2021 will include the show’s themed weeks – such as movie week, musicals week and Halloween week.

Last year, these were scrapped, proving too complicated to manage amid the pandemic. 

The show’s Christmas special will also be back, with the show set to start in its usual early-autumn time slot, rather than in October, like last year.

It’s said rather than a fewer number of celebs, the full 15 will be taking part again, having cut this to 12 last series.

There are also plans to reinstate the live audience too – another aspect disallowed last season.

Isolation will remain in place for the professional dancers. This will see them sent to a hotel near the Strictly studios in Hertfordshire several weeks ahead of the show’s return.

The celebs – who will start to be gradually revealed at the end of the summer – will also not have the usual three-week gap between being paired up with their pros and dancing for the first time on live TV.

This has been reduced to one week thanks to logistical factors.