Courtney Act makes Dancing with the Stars Australia debut with male partner
Courtney Act danced to Portugal. The Man – “Feel It Still.” (Dancing With The Stars Australia/Twitter)
Drag queen Courtney Act has made her debut on Dancing with the Stars Australia with her male dance partner Joshua Keefe.
Courtney Act, whose real name is Shane Jenek, took to the Dancing with the Stars stage on Monday (February 18).
“Omg That was so much fun let’s do it again!!!,” Act wrote on Twitter after her performance, where she danced with Keefe to “Feel It Still” by Portugal. The Man.
Courtney Act performed for the first time on Dancing with the Stars on her birthday
Her performance coincided with Jenek’s birthday, as the drag queen announced in a tweet ahead of the show, sharing a clip of when Keefe first met his dancing partner.
“This is my second time on Dancing with the Stars. I have no idea who’s going to be coming through that door but I hope she’s ready to put on a fantastic show.” Keefe said.
Tonight 7:30pm @channel10au!
Get ready to watch us LIVE!!! And it’s my birthday so you have to vote for me!!! #DWTSau pic.twitter.com/qSZS3Jm9QB
— Courtney Act (@courtneyact) February 18, 2019
Keefe looked surprise to see Janek walking through the door without his costume on, before recognising him as Courtney Act and sharing a hug.
“I’ve got someone who is not afraid to go out there and just going to dance,” Keefe then remarked to the camera, adding: “The problem we have is that he’s very funny.”
“Can’t wait to do all the sexy dances and wear all the pretty dresses.”
— Courtney Act
Act’s performance impressed judges, with her scoring a 23 out of 30 in total.
The drag queen, who made her name on RuPaul’s Drag Race, was the final contestant to be announced in the 11-strong line-up for the celebrity-studded dance competition.
She revealed the news on Twitter last month and jokingly referred to her costume mishap while entering Celebrity Big Brother in January 2018, which she went on to win.
YAS what a show by @courtneyact #DWTSau pic.twitter.com/j4hNnyxxWg
— Dancing With The Stars Australia (@DancingOn10) February 18, 2019
“Imma be twinkling round the floor on Dancing With The Stars!!!,” she said at the time.
“Can’t wait to do all the sexy dances and wear all the pretty dresses (hopefully no wardrobe malfunctions this time).”
Other celebrities who appeared on the show, aired by Channel 10, include children’s author Cassandra Thorburn, former Neighbours star Olympia Valance and actor Samuel Johnson.
Courtney Act appears on Dancing with the Stars, prompting call for BBC’s Strictly to be more inclusive
The drag queen’s appearance on Dancing with the Stars has sparked calls for the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing in the UK to be more inclusive.
Courtney Act and Joshua Keefe performed for the first time on February 18. (Dancing With The Stars Australia/Facebook)
Following Act’s performance, author Juno Dawson, who is trans, wrote on Twitter: “#Strictly in the UK has some catching up to do. No trans contestants ever, no same sex pairs. C’mon @bbcstrictly listen to the cheers! It’ll be fun!”
In recent years, there has been a heated debate over whether Strictly should allow contestants to dance in same-sex pairings.
Celebrities, including David Walliams, have backed same-sex dancing pairings on the show.
Last year, a Strictly spokesperson said: “At the moment we have no plans to introduce same-sex couples.”
In October, the show featured guest dancers in a same-sex routine.
