Strictly's AJ Pritchard wants to be first pro to dance with same-sex partner

It seems the pro dancer is already gearing up for the possibility of a Strictly same-sex celebrity pairing, claiming that he would be the ideal man to take on the challenge.

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"If they do decide to finally do same-sex partners on Strictly this year I 100 per cent want to be the pro to do it," AJ said in an interview with MailOnline.

Last year the Strictly dancer teamed up with Paralympian Lauren Steadman, and he says he's ready for another "new challenge" this year.

"I love a curveball," AJ said. "It's always great to get a new challenge on the show."

"If it's going to be anyone, I'd like it to be me," he continued. "I'm 100 per cent the pro to do it. I guess it all depends on who the celebrity contestants are this year.

"So I think we have to wait and see; but if same-sex partnerships do happen it's going to be so captivating. And I am very open to it. People enjoy seeing bodies moving, it doesn't matter [about gender]."

Last year's series saw the show's first same-sex dance, featuring the show’s professional dancers perform a routine to Imagine Dragons hit Believer.

The possibility of having same-sex celebrity pairings has been a hot topic on Strictly for years. In 2017 judge Craig Revel Horwood said he believed it would happen in 2018, although in the end it didn't happen.

“I think same-sex couples can exist, you only have to decide who’s going to go backwards really, don’t you. That’s the only difference,” Revel Horwood said.

“In the world of competition there are same-sex couples that do it as well so there is no reason why that can’t happen. It’s just I guess the Beeb have to decide whether they want to do that one year and I think it’ll probably happen next year.”

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