Same-sex pairing is important, Strictly star says

Actress Bethany Antonia has spoken about the importance of representation after she was placed in a same-sex pairing with a professional dancer in this year's Strictly Come Dancing.

The Birmingham-born star, who began her television career playing Jada Conjo in BBC soap Doctors at the age of 18, said taking part in the dance competition with partner Nancy Xu was a surreal experience.

Seeing previous same-sex pairings on the televised dancing competition had helped her feel more comfortable being out to people in her life.

"It was so important to me to make sure that if I did it, I got to do it with a woman," she said.

The partnership between former contestant Nicola Adams and dancer Katya Jones in 2020 helped demonstrate what was possible on the show, the actress, who also played Lady Baela Targaryen in HBO series House of the Dragon, said.

"When I watched Nicola and Katya do it for the first time and be the first same-sex pairing, I wasn't out to everyone in my life.

"Watching them do the show... made it so much easier for me to have that conversation with people in my life."

She asked producers to pair her with a woman to highlight the significance of seeing different relationships represented.

"I'm having so much fun, and getting to be with Nancy is just like a dream come true."

Reflecting on the rehearsal process, Xu spoke of her satisfaction of seeing ideas translate from imagination to the dance floor.

She also spoke about the effort involved in developing performances, with pride in the way the partnership had pushed boundaries and challenged expectations.

"When I'm choreographing in my brain, the picture, the views, the energy, the idea, the look [of what] was happening in my head, and from Monday till Saturday, and I can see the full picture is just happening.

"She just made me so proud, and I felt so happy," Xu said.

For Antonia, the experience has been about more than learning dance routines. For her it highlights how representation on television can influence people's confidence and help them feel more comfortable being themselves.

"If I get to be a part of that story for one other person, one other girl… I've done my job."

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