Everything you need to know about gay Strictly star Johannes Radebe – is he in a relationship?
Johannes Radebe attends a photocall at London Palladium on June 07, 2023 (Getty)
Strictly Come Dancing pro Johannes Radebe has been a firm favourite with fans ever since he first sashayed onto our screens back in 2018, and he’s about to star in a tour of hit musical Kinky Boots in 2025.
He’s also set to make an appearance during Children In Need tonight (15 November), as he takes part in a Strictly-themed section of the annual fundraising telethon on BBC One.
In a unique first, kids’ TV sensation Bluey will be transported directly into the Strictly Ballroom and will be dancing alongside Radebe and the other Strictly pros to help raise funds to support the crucial work with children and young people that the charity does, including supporting LGBTQ+ youth across the UK.
We thought it would be a good time to look back at Radebe’s stellar career so far, and find out more about him.
Where is Johannes Radebe from?
Johannes Radebe was born in Zamdela, Orange Free State, South Africa. He moved to the UK in 2018 to join the cast of professional dancers on the BBC show Strictly Come Dancing.
Before joining Strictly, he was a dance teacher in Johannesburg, danced on cruise ships, and won the Professional South African Latin championships twice.
When did Johannes come out as gay?
Radebe hasn’t confirmed exactly when he came out, but he has opened up about facing anti-LGBTQ+ abuse during his childhood in South Africa and witnessing a homophobic attack on a friend.
In an interview with The Times in August 2023, the dancer – who describes himself as “camp as Christmas, a six foot-plus gay boy with a penchant for heels and feathers” – explained what it was like growing up gay in Zamdela, a township outside the city of Sasolburg.
“Townships”, Radebe said, “are conservative and very backwards in their thinking, just because of tradition and culture. And if you don’t look and behave like they do, there is something wrong with you.”
As a child, he had homophobic language aimed at him by other children, which he did not know the meaning of but understood to be negative.
He also recalled how he and his two friends, called Jeff and Sean, played with dolls as children and were once caught by an older boy, who proceeded to beat Jeff up so badly he could not go to school the following day.
However, he’s said that his experience as an openly gay dancer on Strictly – and the support he has received fro fans – has helped him overcome some of that early trauma. He has said, “There was never anything wrong with me, yet the society around me made me believe there was”.
Has Johannes Radebe ever won Strictly?
No, Johannes Radebe has never won Strictly Come Dancing, but he has placed in the top eight twice and made history with the first same-sex male partnership on the show.
What happened between John Whaite and Johannes Radebe?
Great British Bake Off champion John Whaite admitted that he “fell in love” with his dance partner Johannes Radebe while competing on Strictly Come Dancing. He had a long term partner called Paul Atkins at the time, who he has since married. They tied the knot in February 2024.
In 2021, the baker was announced as one of the 15 celebrity contestants on the 19th season of Strictly, with Whaite’s pairing with Johannes Radebe becoming the first same-sex partnership in the show’s history.
The pair’s chemistry was evident both to the judges and viewers at home, as they danced their way into the final two before losing out on the trophy to Eastenders actor Rose Ayling-Ellis.
Speaking to The Times about his time on the show, Whaite has revealed that his affection for Radebe extended beyond the Strictly ballroom, explaining that he “fell in love” with his dance partner, and had to spend some time away from his fiancé Paul Atikins as a result.
“When you’re physically pressed against another man for 10 hours a day, things move emotionally … I fell in love with him,” Whaite shared.
Radebe and Whaite are still friends. Radebe congratulated his ex-dance partner on his wedding, writing “massive congratulations” under an Instagram post that Atkins and Whaite shared to mark the occasion.
Radebe also told The Times: “We have gone on to have such a beautiful experience together that it would be a shame if we were not friends after all that.
“What we agreed is that, regardless of what life throws at us, we will always keep [this friendship] going. ‘We are friends for life’, I always say to him. ‘I know where you live. You cannot get rid of me’. I still speak to him.”
Who have Johannes’ other Strictly partners been over the years?
His other dance partners include; Comedian, actor and presenter Ellie Taylor, veteran comic actress Caroline Quentin, Coronation Street actress Catherine Tyldesley and former British tennis player Annabel Croft. In 2024, he was paired with former Olympian and Gladiators star Montell Douglas.
Is Johannes Radebe in a relationship?
It’s believed that the Strictly heartthrob is currently single, though back in February 2024 he said he’s looking to start dating again after his former dance partner, Annabel Croft, reminded him to “live.”
He told Hello Magazine: “I went on one date with a gentleman, and it was lovely. It’s now about me doing this a lot more. Meeting the beautiful Annabel, I was reminded to live again. She’s encouraged me to be more social, and since then my life has changed. I’ve started going out, but needed someone to tell me that.”
Johannes Radebe in Kinky Boots
Strictly Come Dancing icon Johannes Radebe is set to star in a UK and Ireland tour of West End musical Kinky Boots. The Strictly pro will don the red boots and take on the lead role of Lola as part of a tour in 2025.
Announcing the news on social media, Radebe said: “Another dream is realized. I’m making my musical debut as Lola in Kinky Boots, the only role I’ve always envisaged playing. I feel like everything I have achieved in my career has led to this moment. I’ve been granted the opportunity to step into the world of musicals.”
“I know these are big boots/shoes to fill but I promise to show up for the task and keep spreading the message of the show…Kinky Boots celebrates individuality and challenges us to encourage acceptance, love people for who they are, look out for one another, and to just be yourself,” he added.
You can find out more and book tickets here.
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