YouTuber and gay icon, Jojo Siwa, will make history on the US version of Dancing With the Stars as the first contestant to compete as part of a same-sex pairing. The 18 year-old, who rose to fame on Dance Moms, will find out who she is paired with when the season premieres next month.
This same same-sex pairing will be the first in the US shows 30-season history. However, while Strictly Come Dancing is set to feature its first all male pairing with John Whaite, neither the UK or US version is the first to do it. Courtney Act was paired with dancer Joshua Keefe on the Australian version of the show in 2019.
Speaking about the same-sex pairing, Jojo said: “I think it breaks a wall that’s never been broken down before. It’s normal for a girl to dance with a guy, and I think that’s really cool, but it’s really special that now not only do I get to share with the world that you get to love who you love, but also you get to dance with who you want to dance with.”
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Jojo added that when she received the email asking her to be a part of the show, she was asked if she wanted to be partnered with a man or a woman. It was her choice to dance with a woman. “I want to make it OK for the people who come after me,” she said. “I want to make everything OK for the people who come after me.”
Olympic gold medalist, Suni Lee, who is also 18, was announced alongside Jojo Siwa as part of the cast for the upcoming season of ABC’s Dancing With the Stars.
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Suni and Jojo will both appear on Good Morning America for their first sit-down interview on Friday ahead of the show’s premiere on Monday, September 20. The remainder of the season’s lineup will be revealed on September 8.
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