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# West Midlands star announced as Strictly Come Dancing’s next same-sex pairing
- URL: https://www.scenemag.co.uk/west-midlands-star-announced-as-strictly-come-dancings-next-same-sex-pairing-2/
- Published: 2022-08-29T12:00:05.000Z
- Updated: 2022-08-29T08:52:57.000Z
- Description: Richie Anderson, a radio and TV personality, has been announced as the third celebrity dancer added to the hit BBC show, Strictly Come Dancing.
- Author: Catherine Muxworthy
- Tags: Arts, Television, LGBTQ, Strictly, Strictly Come Dancing, TV, West Midlands

**Richie Anderson**, a radio and TV personality, has been announced as the third celebrity dancer added to the hit BBC show, *Strictly Come Dancing*. A star from *BBC Radio 2*, Richie Anderson will be well known to fans of *BBC WM* as well, having presented his own shows on the station when he started his career in August 2015.

Anderson also occasionally reports on various topics for *BBC One*’s *The One Show*, and has even featured as a guest reviewer on the extra show – *Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two*.

In 2018, Richie came out as gay to his football teammates after a match, as part of a film for *The One Show*, highlighting the pressures of homophobia in the sport.

Following in the footsteps of **John Waite**, who last year made it to the final with his partner **Johannes Radebe**, Richie will be paired with a male partner.

“This is a dream come true!,” explains Richie, “I cannot wait to get in those sparkles and sequins and shimmy across the most famous dance floor in the world! *Strictly* is the ultimate feel-good show, as soon as I hear that iconic theme tune it’s just pure escapism.

“I’m going to have to cancel my legendary *Strictly* launch night kitchen party that I throw every year, I’m sure my friends and family will understand. It’s also a massive honour to be part of an all-male dance partnership, it’s so important we have that inclusion on such a huge show.”

Richie added: “I don’t know anything at the moment, but I can confirm that I will be doing the all-male partnership, which is just so amazing.”