CJ de Mooi, who appears on BBC show Eggheads, insists he was approached by the dancing competition – but the offer to join was withdrawn when he expressed his desire to dance with a man.
Speaking to Newsbeat, openly gay CJ said: “I thought, as it’s now 2015, it’s time this format in Britain had a same-sex couple.”
But it appears that Strictly, despite its fun and flamboyant nature, just isn’t ready to be pulled into the 21st Century.
An official statement regarding CJ’s claim read: “Strictly is a family show and we have chosen the traditional format of mixed-sex couples.”
Strictly bosses are apparently choosing to ignore the fact that in 2014 340 children were adopted by same-sex couples, an increase of over 100 compared to the year before.
That number may only be seven per cent of the total children adopted last year but it’s consistently growing and, after the legalisation of same-sex marriage, the figure is undoubtedly going to continue increasing.
CJ slammed Strictly for its response, branding them ‘narrow-minded’ for using the idea of traditional family as an excuse to outcast the rising number of ‘untraditional’ families.
He fumed: “I think their announcement that they’re a ‘family show’ and have no plans for same-sex couples seems that they’re being a little bit narrow-minded and defining family in some very narrow terms.”
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