Strictly Come Dancing: Susan Calman defends decision to dance with a male partner

Scottish comedian said she was getting more abuse than the openly gay men who have danced on the show with female partners

Susan Calman has defended her decision to dance with a male professional dancer on Strictly Come Dancing.

The Scottish comedian and writer, who is openly gay, has received criticism on social media for taking part in the show, because it does not feature same-sex dancing couples.

Calman said she was offended by the reaction, adding: "No one can say I haven't stood up for my community.”

Calman is one of 15 celebrities taking to the dance floor on the BBC One contest, who will find out who their professional partners are in the launch show, broadcast on 9 September.

The 42-year-old said she was “absolutely not disappointed” that she would not be paired with a woman and that it was her decision to dance with a man.

She told the BBC: “I think politically, there's nothing more powerful than having an openly gay woman on the biggest show on television, whose wife's on the front row, doing what she wants to do.”

(Getty Images)

"For the gay community to criticise me and try to get me what they want to do is, I think, as difficult as suggesting the straight community are trying to.

"No one is holding me hostage in this room, making me wear a dress and dance with a man. I want to learn how to dance."

Calman also suggested she was receiving more flack as a gay woman than gay male contestants had done on the dance show - including The Reverend Richard Coles, a fellow member of the ”class of 2017“.

”I have protested, I have picketed, I have fought, I have been spat on, I have been punched - and I want to dance,“ she said.

She implied that she was getting more abuse as a woman than the openly gay men who have appeared on the show and danced with female partners.

"Will Young didn't get it, Judge Rinder didn't get it, Richard Coles isn't getting it. It seems to me as a woman, he's not getting it the same way I am.

”And for me to be getting it is, I think, unfair. I seem to be getting the brunt of the LGBT community.“

​A Strictly Come Dancing spokeswoman said: “Strictly has chosen the traditional format of mixed-sex couples and at the moment we have no plans to introduce same-sex couples in the competition."

Judges Darcey Bussell, Craig Revel-Horwood, and Bruno Tonioli are all set to return for the new series of Strictly.

This year will also introduce new judge Shirley Ballas, who replaces Len Goodman as Head Judge, following his departure at the end of the 2016 series.

Strictly Come Dancing launches at 7pm on Saturday 9 September, on BBC One

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