EXCLUSIVEWill Same-Sex Couples Soon Grace The Floor On 'Dancing With The Stars'? If Tyra Banks 'Has Her Way,' Source Dishes
Feb. 18 2021, Updated 12:05 a.m. ET
Shaking things up! It's only been half a year since Tyra Banks took over as host of Dancing With the Stars, but an insider tells OK! that she has some massive changes in store — including casting the show's first-ever same-sex couple.
Banks, 47, who recently teased that she plans to "take it up 10 notches" when the show's 30th season kicks off this fall, "already has the Dancing team putting out feelers," dishes the insider, who says CNN's Anderson Cooper, Watch What Happens Live host Andy Cohen and singer Ricky Martin are at the top of the wish list.
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"Previously, gay men on the show have always been paired up with female partners, but not anymore, at least if Tyra has her way," the insider adds. "She knows the power of the shock factor in TV — and how to make a dusty old show hot again!"
Banks is not the only one looking for Dancing With the Stars to make major change when it comes to casting. As OK! previously reported, DWTS pro Gleb Savchenko is urging the hit ABC reality dance competition series to finally give love to the LGBTQ+ community by including same-sex partners on the floor.
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“I can’t wait for this moment!” Savchenko told Mr. Warburton magazine. “Last season when Johnny Weir got on the show I was like, ‘Johnny, you HAVE to be my partner,' but they ended up not doing it. They’ve done it before in Australia with Courtney Act and in the U.K. with Nicola Adams and they were both amazing!”
The Russian dancer added, “Of course, there is a strong male/female dynamic in dance, but if you have two men doing the same thing it would look awesome and be so fascinating. I would love to do it, but it would have to be with the right partner.”
Only time will tell as to what will happen on the hit reality show, but with Banks leading the ship, the next season is sure to come with plenty of surprises.
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"Tyra is an idea machine," a source previously told OK!. "She is constantly sending notes and thoughts to her team. Next season she wants to make even more changes, including more fashion, more backstage drama and, of course, more Tyra."
