Entertainment
Strictly Come Dancing’s John Whaite slams vile trolls calling same-sex pairing ‘box-ticking’
John and Johannes left viewers in tears last weekend (Picture: BBC / Guy Levy)
Strictly Come Dancing finalist John Whaite has hit back after suffering cruel trolling online, slamming viewers who called same-sex pairing ‘box-ticking and fitting an agenda’.
The former Bake Off star is teamed up with professional partner Johannes Radebe, and the pair made show history as the first all-male couple.
They made it through to Saturday’s final, where they’ll try and win the glitterball trophy on Saturday’s final alongside Rose Ayling Ellis and Giovanni Pernice and AJ Odudu and Kai Widdringham.
However, after last weekend’s semi-final, John found himself the victim of cruel trolling – and he wasn’t standing for it.
John took to social media to hit out at the ‘vicious’ bullies criticising him, calling them a ‘dying breed’.
‘You vicious, empty people are a dying breed. You’ll be left behind as the world becomes kinder, more empathic, more loving, more tolerant, more understanding,’ he wrote on social media.
The dancer hit out at his critics (Picture: Instagram/john_whaite)
‘The only grievance you should feel is your own failure to evolve.’
It comes after John and Johannes left viewers in tears on Saturday’s episode of Strictly Come Dancing after John spoke openly about his experience of being bullied for being gay.
The TV presenter detailed his childhood, growing up in a small town in Wigan, where he realised he was gay at a young age.
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Ahead of their dance – a gorgeous contemporary ballet routine to Adele’s Hometown Glory – John became teary as he remembered confiding to a teacher at the age of 14 that he was gay.
Viewers were blown away by the intimate routine, which held even more power as John and Johannes were seen crying at people’s reactions to them being the first ever male same-sex partnership on Strictly.
They are facing up against Giovanni Pernice and Rose Ayling-Ellis, AJ Odudu and Kai Widdrington in this week’s final.
Strictly Come Dancing airs on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
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