Strictly Come Dancing launch show spoilers follow.
Richie Anderson has shared his enthusiastic reaction to getting a same-sex pairing on Strictly.
The Radio 2 DJ appeared on Strictly Come Dancing's launch show on Friday (Septembr 23) where he discovered he'd be paired with Giovanni Pernice.
Following the launch show, Richie walked Digital Spy and other media through the process of deciding whether he wanted to dance in a same-sex couple on the show.
Related: Strictly's Richie Anderson sends message to trolls ahead of same-sex pairing reveal
"Do you know what was so lovely? When they called me up to be on Strictly, they said 'we're booking you, and it's up to you whether you want to dance with a female partner, or a male partner'," he explained. "I went home and I spoke to my other half and we celebrate our 10-year anniversary in October, and he said 'you have to dance with a man'.
"I fall back to John [Whaite] and Johannes [Radebe] last year and Nicola [Adams] and Katya [Jones] the year before, and I wish when I was growing up as a teenager, working out what I was and what I wasn't, I would have had that representation on a Saturday night on primetime TV. So it was a bit of a no-brainer for me."
The DJ also chatted about his shock when he learned he'd be paired up with Gio.
"Giovanni came and surprised me at Radio 2 and when he walked through the door, Oh My God, I think I deafened [co-worker] Zoe Ball from screaming! Honestly, I think I set off an alarm or something, cracked a window," he joked.
"He walked in and I don't remember what happened, it was a blur. I think I went lightheaded. I needed a paracetamol, but I'm fine now and he's lovely."
He had good reason to be excited! Giovanni won the previous series with Rose Ayling-Ellis, and has also reached the final with Faye Tozer, Debbie McGee and Georgia May Foote throughout his career.
Strictly Come Dancing continues on Saturday on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
Interested in talking about Strictly Come Dancing? Visit our dedicated sub-forum
![Strictly Come Dancing - Motsi & Anton's Strictly The Best [DVD] [2021]](https://hips.hearstapps.com/vader-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/1636376452-51-wTB4ZAL._SL500_.jpg?crop=1xw:1xh;center,top&resize=980:* "Strictly Come Dancing - Motsi & Anton's Strictly The Best [DVD] [2021]")
Strictly Come Dancing - Motsi & Anton's Strictly The Best [DVD] [2021]
![Strictly Come Dancing: Shirley and Craig's Perfect 10 [DVD]](https://hips.hearstapps.com/vader-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/1602857040-51TXVDJudnL.jpg?crop=1xw:1xh;center,top&resize=980:* "Strictly Come Dancing: Shirley and Craig's Perfect 10 [DVD]")
Strictly Come Dancing: Shirley and Craig's Perfect 10 [DVD]
Night News Editor
Justin has been with Digital Spy since 2010, and in that time, has covered countless major news events for DS from the US.
He has worked previously as both a reporter and sub editor for the brand, prior to taking on the position of Night News Editor in 2016.
Over more than a decade, he has interviewed a wide-ranging group of public figures, from comedian Steve Coogan to icons from the Star Trek universe, cast members from the Marvel Cinematic Universe and reality stars from numerous Real Housewives cities and the Below Deck franchise. As a US contributor to Digital Spy, Justin has also been on the ground to cover major pop culture events like the Star Wars Celebration and the D23 Expo.
Freelance writer, Digital Spy
Tilly is Gold-Standard NCTJ accredited journalist with eight years of experience in entertainment journalism.
She has been heard giving her insight on the latest TV stories on BBC Radio across the country and on BBC News.
Previously working with The Sun Online, Yahoo, Metro.co.uk and Independent IE amongst others, she joined the Digital Spy team from 2021-2023 as Deputy TV Editor (Maternity cover).
With a speciality in TV drama and true crime, Tilly has been praised for her exclusive content with A-list stars ranging from Sir David Attenborough to the lawyers behind Making A Murderer.
She’s happy to report her mum now takes her seriously as a journalist as she got to interview George Clooney once.
