I just rewatched it and Nikita's performance was incredible. So blown away by this. So emotional after we've lived so long on the fringe. And honestly, have you ever seen anything more beautiful in your life? The tenderness of the whole piece is the truth about the LGBTQIA+ community...

Frr

A really beautiful heartfelt performance about LOVE. Here is hoping for a day when everyone can see this.

Not just Nikita’s season, but Vito is a very strong contender too.

It's the year for the new generation of male pros.

Things sure have changed here on Brokeback Mountain.

@@staygoldponyboy8881 Changed for the better! We still have a struggle but to see this is to live in another universe compared to how TV once treated LGBT+ people.

Well said ❤

People seem to have forgotten how recently Strictly still expected gay men to fit into a “wear frilly costumes and be Outrageous” box, and had sniggering comments from Len Goodman and Bruce Forsyth. This absolutely would have been unthinkable in 2013.

Absolutely. Made this 45yo cry.

Couldn't agree more. I'm 66 and grew up in a repressed Catholic country. Seeing this makes me sad for the past but so happy for the future.

Totally agree. I have two gay brothers who also grew up in that era. I love that young boys will watch this and know it's OK!

For me John Inman and Larry Grayson were just as iconic, and doing a powerful thing within the narrow band of visibility that was allowed. I feel the same about Julian Clary, who was the first gay contestant to really leave an impression on Strictly. I think the problem was that the show then took him as the paradigm (Outrageous Flamboyant Costume Queen) that it put gay men in for the years that followed. I think a really powerful, underacknowledged turning point on Strictly was Rob Rinder in 2016, who started out firmly in the “frills and faggotry” box but was ultimately allowed to outgrow that; I remember Darcey Bussell saying one week, “You’re an elegant guy. You’re allowed to be cool and elegant on the dance floor.” I also think Layton Williams is who I’ve spent a long time waiting for. The fact Nikita is as flamboyantly masculine as he is flamboyantly femme, and that their dances show his femininity as sexy and exciting, rather than a joke? Oh yes, feelings. So far indeed.

@@thegabrielhyde I love your reply, I loved John Inman and Larry and was lucky enough to meet both. I don't think people give them enough respect for the courage they had at the time, especially John who at the time was living openly as a couple with Barry Howard. I still remember the first time I went in a gay bar, you had to knock on the door, say you were a friend of Dorothy and you'd be let in as they were constantly getting raided by the police and that was only late 80s.

Absolutely. I am 75 and came out before Stonewall but I am still moved to tears of joy to see where we have come since then.

I agree that the other dancers weren’t needed, but I guess the BBC wanted to avoid more complaints 😢

I think they were useful as a transition to give Nikita and Vito time to get back into position on the roof for the last part of the dance.

u gonna pay their bills then? stfu

I took the other dancers - all male/female couples - as being the 'something just like this' that the two lads wanted to have for themselves. So when we share their point of view, with their back to the camera, that's what we see for a while - the idealised relationships they feel they 'don't fit' into. Then at the end they find their own way.

Totally agree just ignored them!

Baby steps, but at least it is happening, at last. We must open our hearts to everyone. Sad it passed you by when you were young💚

Stop it, I've had enough Heartstopper syndrome already 😭🏳‍🌈

Sorry I didn't like both at the beginning Personally theirs dancing is poor

@@naimaboukhoufIt’s really not. I bet you couldn’t do any better, so don’t judge such beautiful dancers because you’re jealous that you will never obtain this skill. I thought it was beautiful, my favourite opening number in Strictly history ❤❤🎉🎉

Better than your grammar. Or is it your typing? @@naimaboukhouf

As a 72 y.o. straight woman, I 100% applaud this.

Me yo

As a 26 y.o. straight girl, I really do love this ❤❤❤❤❤

♥♥♥

Thank you for sharing this. Hopefully it will help some people understand why this is so important to a lot of people and makes such a difference

@KarenHess25 im a 32 year old gay man i nearly shed a tear

@@peterwilliamskelhorn6675. Just: “nearly”❔🤔

@@IndomitableT yeah i nearly did.

I'm a straight/heterosexual girl and I really did enjoy this performance

I did, it was stunningly beautiful😚😙👌

Yes I totally agree with everything you said.

Yes totally

Agreed

Layton and Nikita are a dream team and my 2023 Strictly winners

SAME

Well said👌

You and your mom sound so sweet!

PREACH! I wish they could do this dance again in the finale. They have both achieved so much.

Me too ❤

thanks for that, I so look forward to Strictly every year, it gives so much light relief in this horrible world.

I am American but I live in Europe I watch both shows and for years the way strictly put dancing with the stars usa to shame is brutal strictly is absolutely the best no one get close to them and every year gets bigger and better and this number and Kai and Johannes shows how far we come here and a little how much work we still need to do In America

I really enjoy jojo siwa’s contemporary dance on dancing with the stars!

kzfaq.info/get/bejne/j6yYo7ljqanMnKM.htmlsi=bQPm6eAigr_rXJB1

I did feel like on dwts, Jenna, jojo’s dance partner and choreographer sometimes didn’t know how to choreograph for 2 girls and would just make them dance next to each other instead of dance together. Nikita and Vito’s dance does not suffer from this issue at all. But jojo and jenna’s dance that I linked above is very good and touching!

Welcome to our family❤❤❤

@@paulmason6474 thank you!!! 💖💖

He really does! Nikita seems to be so completely fine with all of it that he doesn't need to try and underline his own sexuality by any macho stuff like so many men still do. When there's no shame attached to being a part of the LGBTQ+ community in someone's mind they can see and portray the beauty of a love story regardless of gender and sexuality.

I'm not gonna speculate about Nikita's sexuality but as far as I'm aware he's never actually said he's straight so probably best not to assume anything :)

@@rorolilred He has never said he's straight no, that's true. And he is VERY comfortable dancing with men tbf.

@@essy1able True, his dances with Layton and this one with Vito have been awesome! So glad we're getting to see him shine so much this season :D

Shame that same licence fee goes towards spouting homophobia and transphobia on current affairs programmes D:

I KNOW I'm in triple figures! 😂😂 My only complaint is that they should've uploaded it to the point where they're running off the floor together.....So I keep returning to the BBC site to get the full effect.

@@barbarawebb5782 Yep agree me to

It helps when you know they've known each other for 15 years. Gives them an authenticity that might not have been achieved if other dancers had been chosen.

Same.... I'm totally in love with this routine. Easily my favourite pro dance ever.... And that's after Karen and Luba 'Young and Beautiful' which was stunning.

Me too, and I am crying every time 🥹