JoJo Siwa to make history as first celeb to be paired in same-sex couple on ‘Dancing With The Stars’

It took 30 seasons, but when viewers tune into Dancing With The Stars this fall, they will finally see the show’s first same-sex couple. Social media star JoJo Siwa has the honour of being the first celeb to be paired with a professional dancer of the same sex and yeah, it’s about time. 

News of Siwa’s involvement with the upcoming 30th season and her history-making partnership were confirmed on Thursday during a TCA panel. Returning host Tyra Banks and executive producer Andrew Llinares confirmed that Siwa, who publicly came out in January and identifies as pansexual, will be paired with a female dancer. 

“I think it’s cool, I think it breaks a wall that’s never been done before,” said Siwa in a statement via Deadline. “I think it’s really special that I get to share with the world that you can love who you love, but now you can dance with who you want to dance with.”

No surprise, fans of Siwa are thrilled that the multi-talented entertainer will be hitting the dance floor this fall.

Siwa’s first introduction to the public was on Dance Moms, so she’s definitely got a leg up on the competition, literally and figuratively. The teen has already received some flack online for her casting because of her dance experience. 

As half the first same-sex couple on the long-running competition, all eyes will likely be on Siwa and her pro partner, so Siwa having a background in dance feels fair. Plus, she’s not the first trained dancer to appear on the show. Celebs like Adam Rippon, Jennifer Grey, Kristi Yamaguchi, Meryl Davis and Nicole Scherzinger are just some of the big names to have appeared on DWTS and benefitted from their prior training. In conclusion, leave JoJo alone.

In addition to Siwa, U.S. Olympic gold and bronze-medal gymnast Suni Lee has also been confirmed as one of the celebs battling for the Mirror Ball Trophy this season. Lee is the latest U.S. Olympic gymnast to join the dance competition, which in the past has included her teammate Simone Biles and 2016’s winner Laurie Hernandez. 

Siwa and Lee are the only two competitors who have been announced so far for Season 30. The rest of the cast, including the pros each celeb will be paired with this season, will be announced on Good Morning America on September 8. Season 30 of Dancing With The Stars will premiere September 20 at 8 p.m. ET on CTV.