BREAKING: Strictly’s Same-S3x Pair Spark Huge Reaction After ‘Instant Bond’ Is Revealed
Strictly Come Dancing viewers were delighted after House of the Dragon star Bethany Antonia was officially paired with professional dancer Nancy Xu for the 2026 series.
The partnership was revealed during Saturday night’s pre-recorded launch show, which also marked the presenting debut of Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe and Johannes Radebe.
All 15 celebrity contestants finally discovered who they would be dancing with this year, but the BBC introduced a completely new way of revealing the couples.
Instead of simply announcing each partnership, the celebrities and professionals were divided into groups and taught routines before repeatedly switching partners in a format compared to “speed dating”.
As the music played, the hosts called out for the dancers to change partners until the music eventually stopped and the final pairings were revealed.
For Bethany and Nancy, the result appeared to be exactly what they had hoped for.
Bethany Admits She Already Had a Preference
After discovering Nancy would be her professional partner, Bethany admitted the pair had connected almost immediately.
“I just feel so happy,” she said.
“We just bonded instantly like day one. We weren’t supposed to have a preference but I was like I kinda do.”
Nancy appeared equally overwhelmed by the announcement and struggled to contain her excitement.
“I’m trying to control myself,” she said.
“I’m shaking still and something has gone but the excitement is here and I cannot wait for this partnership. I am just so happy.”
The pair’s reaction quickly became one of the most talked-about moments from the launch show.
Fans Rush to Support New Partnership
Viewers immediately took to social media to celebrate the pairing.
One fan wrote: “Bethany and Nancy same sex partnership we wonnn.”
Another said: “I need Bethany and Nancy to be good omg #Strictly.”
A third viewer described the pair as “so precious”, while another declared: “Nancy and Bethany have my heart.”
One fan said they had already suspected the BBC might put the two together, writing: “I had a feeling they’d pair Bethany and Nancy together the vibe was right.”
The enthusiastic reaction followed Bethany and Nancy’s comments about developing an immediate connection during the early stages of filming.
Their partnership also continues Strictly’s history of featuring same-sex celebrity and professional couples.
Strictly’s Same-Sex Partnership History
Former boxer Nicola Adams and professional Katya Jones made programme history in 2020 when they became Strictly’s first same-sex celebrity-professional partnership.
Their time in the competition was cut short after they were forced to withdraw four weeks into the series following a positive Covid test.
The following year, chef John Whaite and Johannes Radebe became the first same-sex partnership to reach the final.
Comedian Jayde Adams was then partnered with Karen Hauer in 2022.
In 2023, Layton Williams and Nikita Kuzmin also reached the final after becoming one of the standout couples of their series.
There was no same-sex pairing in the 2024 competition.
The following year, RuPaul’s Drag Race UK star La Voix danced with Aljaž Škorjanec. However, their partnership was not officially classified in the same way because La Voix competed through her female performance persona alongside a male professional dancer.
Bethany and Nancy therefore add another chapter to the programme’s history of same-sex partnerships.
New Pairing Format Shakes Up Launch Show
Their pairing came during a launch episode that introduced several changes beyond the new presenting line-up.
Rather than celebrities meeting their professional partners individually, the group-dance format allowed contestants to spend time dancing with several professionals before discovering their final match.
The unusual approach created additional suspense, with the dancers switching repeatedly until the hosts brought the routine to an end.
For Bethany, however, it appears she had already formed a clear connection with Nancy before the official reveal.
‘I Cannot Wait for This Partnership’
Bethany enters Strictly best known for playing Baela Targaryen in HBO’s House of the Dragon.
Nancy, meanwhile, returns as one of the BBC programme’s established professional dancers.
Neither knows how far their partnership will take them once the live competition begins, but their immediate chemistry has already caught viewers’ attention.
Bethany’s admission that they “bonded instantly” and Nancy’s visibly emotional response to the result have given fans plenty of reason to watch their first competitive routine closely.
And judging by the reaction following the launch show, Bethany and Nancy may already have built a passionate group of supporters before they have even danced for the judges.
