Strictly Come Dancing season 20 launch show spoilers follow.
Jayde Adams has shared the poignant reason behind her same-sex partnership on Strictly Come Dancing.
Friday's launch show revealed that the comedian will be paired up with professional dancer Karen Hauer, who has reached the final in the past with male partners Mark Wright and Jamie Laing.
Jayde has a background in competitive disco dance as a child, partnered with her late sister. Returning to the dancefloor with a female partner is a full-circle moment.
Both will have a new challenge in this series as they dance in a same-sex couple, with Adams telling Digital Spy and other media about the bond between herself and Karen.
Related: Strictly Come Dancing's Janette Manrara and Aljaž Škorjanec announce Christmas live tour
"I think my partnership with Karen is more about sisterhood," she said. "And if you're in the dance world, which I was as a child, the sort of all-girl and all-male partnerships is quite commonplace. Obviously it's a new thing in these dance shows, the one that's in Australia and the one that's in America, but I think the world is changing and to me it just doesn't seem like anything that is abnormal to me. It seems like a completely natural thing."
She continued: "Also to be honest with you, if I was in a male partnership, show me one of the lads that's lifting me. I'm now going to be able to throw Karen Hauer around that dance floor. She's going over my head, I don't care! [laughs] I cannot wait to lift her because when I danced with my sister, I was the base and I used to lift her all the time and actually the last time I danced was actually with my sister... so this felt really natural for me.
"Obviously all my lot, I cannot tell you the amount of excitement all of the drag queens and all of my gays – they're all so thrilled for me. I'm gonna have a couple of them come on and watch the show as well."
The comedian has also spoken about how the cast of RuPaul's Drag Race helped her keep her appearance on Strictly secret until the BBC was ready to announce it.
Strictly Come Dancing continues on Saturday, September 24 on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
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