Former DUP minister will boycott ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ because of same-sex couples
The long-running BBC show will reportedly include same-sex couples next year
By Steve Brown
Words: Steve Brown
The former DUP health minister, Jim Wells, said he won’t watch Strictly Come Dancing if they include same-sex couples.
Despite fans calling for the BBC ballroom and latin dance competition to include same-sex dance couples, the show has yet to feature two male and two female partners.
Over the weekend, a BBC spokesman said they are ‘completely open’ to the idea and suggested the move will happen next year.
Following the announcement, Wells – a former DUP health minister – went on to tell the Belfast Telegraph how he would avoid watching the show from now on.
He said: “I don’t have a TV but I watch Strictly Come Dancing with friends, a couple who are avid enthusiasts so they regularly invite me round for dinner to watch it.
“I don’t and I won’t [have a TV] because if Stephen Nolan’s on £420k a year, the money they’re paying their presenters is absolutely obscene.”
He then went on say including same-sex couples will create ‘awkward questions’ from children and said: “Now, we’ve decided to introduce same-sex partners as demanded by the LGBT community.
“This goes out at 7.30pm on a Saturday evening when families want to sit down and watch something that won’t be challenging, won’t ask any awkward questions, won’t be embarrassing. It’s going to ruin it for family viewing.
“Once you get past the watershed, there’s plenty of programmes that cater for the demands of the LGBT community.
“Why are we damaging what has been seen as sacrosanct?”