Keeeeep dancing!The Strictly Come Dancing line-up is already shaping up for the 2021 series.
It was announced this morning (August 5) on BBC Radio 2 that John Whaite would be heading for the dance floor when the show returns later this year.
Speaking to Matt Lucas, who was standing in for Zoe Ball, The Great British Bake Off 2012 winner said: "I am so excited. I'm very, very nervous, I'm not gonna lie, I'm actually shaking inside. But I'm so excited, I can't wait to get going, I was born to be on that dance floor."
John will be making Strictly history, taking part in the show's first male same-sex partnership.
"It's an honour," he said. "When they asked me if I'd be interested, I just bit their hand off because I thought, you know, to do that and represent the LGBTQ+ community is one thing – but also just to see two men or two women dancing together, it's not necessarily about sexuality, it's just about intimacy and respect.
"And I think that's going to be such a great thing in our culture, where men are conditioned not to open up and not to be emotional. I think it might help to combat that. So, I'm excited on so many levels to be doing the first all-male partnership.
"I don't think it's quite sunk in yet – and I don't think it will until I find out who I'm actually dancing with. I don't know who I want [to be partnered with], because they are all so incredible."
John said that the only people who knew prior to today's official announcement were his mum, his siblings, his partner Paul, and a small number of his closest friends.
"It's been the longest few months of my life having to keep this secret," he added. "But now that it's out there, I think I'm gonna have to go back to bed because I've not slept all night... as soon as we're done here, I'm going to have a cup of tea when "
