Hit entertainment show Strictly Come Dancing is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, and in speaking about the show's history, judge Craig Revel Horwood has said he pushed for the show to include same-sex couples earlier than when the change was made.
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The show featured its first same-sex couple in 2020, when Nicola Adams was partnered with Katya Jones.
Since then, the show has featured a number of same-sex pairings, including last year's runners-up Layton Williams and Nikita Kuzmin.
Speaking with this week's issue of Radio Times magazine, Revel Horwood said of the change to allow same-sex couples: "I think we did it one year too late. I wish we’d been braver sooner, but we’re there now.
"Viewers are more open-minded than we give them credit for. Some people will kick up a stink initially, then suddenly they’re fine with it and that’s how we change the world – from the persecution of gay men to two men dancing on national television."
Layton Williams and Nikita Kuzmin. BBC
Meanwhile, Charlotte Moore, chief content officer of the BBC, added: "We were very clear that Strictly was about the ballroom dancing world, which we were trying to hold true to, but I think there was a moment where we thought, 'Why would we not do this?' It made total sense and has become the norm.
"I don’t think there was resistance so much as, 'When’s the right timing?' Our audience is very sophisticated and savvy. They get to know the contestants, they learn with them, they become inspired by them.
"That’s how we break through those boundaries of any kind of bias anyone has. It’s about educating and informing, but never in a heavy way. I always say that when Strictly’s on, everything is good in the world."
Horwood is the only member of the show's judging panel to have sat on it since the show's first season.
His fellow judge Anton Du Beke has also been with the show since season 1, but was a professional dancer rather than a judge up until the show's 19th season in 2021.
Meanwhile, the only other member of the on-screen presenting team to have been with the series since the start is Tess Daly, who previously hosted with Bruce Forsyth, and now does so with Claudia Winkleman.
James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.
