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Mark Feehily, 40, could be paired in the first-ever same-sex couple on Strictly Come Dancing with pro dancer Johannes Radebe, 30. A source told The Sun that the BBC were keen to sign the boyband singer up for the programme and “get him on board”.
Mark’s a big Strictly fan
A source
A source told The Sun: “Mark’s a big Strictly fan. Nearly all the celebs are signed up, but the Beeb are keen to make this work and get him on board.”
Mark was previously approached to appear on the 2019 series but had to decline the offer following Westlife’s tour at the time.
The singer came out as gay publicly in 2005 and welcomed a baby girl with his fiancé Cailean O’Neill in October 2019.
When asked by The Mirror last year about signing up to Strictly, he admitted he would only consider the offer if it involved dancing with a man, otherwise it would “feel strange”.
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Mark said of appearing on the show in a same-sex couple: “It would have to be with a guy as it would feel strange for me to go with a girl.
He continued: “Well, it wouldn’t feel strange, but why wouldn’t I do it with a guy?”
The Daily Express has approached Mark’s representatives for comment.
Dancer Johannes has in the past danced alongside Graziano Di Prima, in a professional dance on the show.
The BBC received 189 complaints, as the dance received the highest number of protestations.
The public broadcast is firmly behind its LGBTQ audience and called Strictly an “inclusive show”.
In a statement, they said: “Strictly Come Dancing is an inclusive show and is proud to have been able to facilitate the dance between Johannes and Graziano during the Professionals’ dance.
“They are dancers first and foremost, and their sex had no bearing on their routine.”
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Johannes previously spoke with Hello! Magazine about the show’s first same-sex routine.
He said: ‘I’ve never felt so liberated. For the first time in my life, I feel accepted for who I am.
“That says so much about the people of this country. To be able to dance with a friend, I respect and adore is joyous.
“There’s bromance galore between us, but there were no male and female roles, just free movement. It was beautiful, classy and elegant.”
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The Christmas special of the programme is thought to be cancelled this year, amid the coronavirus pandemic.
A source told the newspaper: “Usually, filming the Christmas special only takes a few days.
“But to do it under the current guidelines would mean quarantining celebs for two weeks beforehand. It’s just not worth it for one episode.
“It wasn’t an easy decision, but producers didn’t feel like they had any choice.”
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