Nicola Adams on Strictly move: It's not such a big deal

Nicola Adams says she signed up to Strictly Come Dancing, as part of the show’s first same-sex couple, to show that it is not a “big deal”.

The Olympic gold medal-winning boxer will be on the BBC One show along with the likes of actress Caroline Quentin, comedian Bill Bailey and reality star Jamie Laing.

“I guess it’s just breaking those boundaries and showing people that it’s OK,” she told The Guardian.

“It’s not such an uncommon thing – professional dancers dance with people of the same sex all the time.

“You dance in a nightclub with your friends. I just wanted to break down the thing of it being a big deal when it’s not really a big deal.”

Adams thinks she will be dancing the steps usually taken by the male lead and wearing suits most of the time, as “dresses aren’t my thing”.

The reaction has been “really positive” and “shows that everybody’s mentally evolving and in a place where they’re a lot more open-minded”, she added.