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Judge Rinder asked to dance with same-sex partner on upcoming 'Strictly' special

LONDON, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 19:  Rob Rinder attends the ITV Gala at London Palladium on November 19, 2015 in London, England.  (Photo by Stuart C. Wilson/Getty Images)
TV judge Robert Rinder has revealed he's been asked to perform a same-sex routine in an upcoming 'Strictly Come Dancing' Christmas special (Getty)

Robert Rinder has revealed he’s been invited to perform with a man on Strictly Come Dancing’s upcoming Christmas special.

In an interview with OK! magazine, the barrister – who first appeared on the show back in 2016 – explained how keen he would be to return: “I was offered next year’s Christmas special with a same-sex dancer. I’d do anything.

“I’ve danced on stage with Anton du Beke for a Grenfell Tower benefit.”

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While Strictly has featured a routine between two men before – series regulars Johannes Radebe and Graziano di Prima took to the floor together to dance to Emeli Sande’s live performance of Shine last year – there has never been a celebrity paired with a professional throughout the competition’s history.

But the 41-year-old is optimistic that that will one day change, adding: “Ultimately a same-sex couple is inevitable.”

Judge Robert Rinder and Oksana Platero rehearse in a dance studio in Manchester. (Photo by Peter Byrne/PA Images via Getty Images)
Judge Robert Rinder and Oksana Platero rehearse in a dance studio in Manchester (PA via Getty)

While many famous faces and viewers at home have championed reality show’s like Dancing on Ice for their continuing attempts to be LGBT+ inclusive, Rinder previously claimed that he doesn’t think “it’s going to make any difference to the life of any young person” seeing same-sex dance partners on TV.

“First of all, it’s a sport,” he told Lorraine Kelly back in 2017. “Nobody was asking me to get married to my partner, or to engage in any sort of… geography with her. They wanted me to dance with her.

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“I don’t think it’s going to make any difference to the life of any young person – and there are a lot of young people that find it very difficult to come out in the LGBTQI community – if she dances with an almost straight woman,” Rinder continued.

“But there are amazing charities that do need our assistance, whether she dances with a man or not is going to make no difference to anybody.”