Great British Bake Off star John Whaite has said his all-male partnership on BBC Strictly Come Dancing has “normalised humanity” for him.

Whaite's partnership with Johannes Radebe has made Strictly history as the first all-male couple and the only same-sex partnership to make it to the final.

John and Johannes are only the second same-sex couple on the BBC One show ever, following Nicola Adams’s appearance on the 2020 run which was cut short due to Covid-19.

The couple will be competing against fellow finalists Rose Ayling-Ellis and her partner, Giovanni Pernice.

Isle of Wight County Press: John and Johannes (top) Rose and Giovanni. (bottom) Credit: Guy Levy/BBC.PA WireJohn and Johannes (top) Rose and Giovanni. (bottom) Credit: Guy Levy/BBC.PA Wire

AJ and Kai were originally set to appear in Saturday's final but was forced to withdraw from the competition after her ankle injury.

The former Great British Bake Off winner has said that he hoped that dancing in a same-sex partnership alongside heterosexual couples is a momentous moment for LGBTQ+ representation.

Whaite spoke at a press conference hosted by Strictly spinoff It Takes Two presenter Rylan Clark out his experience.

He said: “It’s been incredible, really incredible. The amount of people who have messaged saying their kids can grow up in a world where two men or two women can dance together is mega.

“Older members of the LGBTQ+ community have been so grateful that they’ve paved the way for this to happen."

The 32-year-old went on to say: “Kids can now grow without being ashamed. My friend who’s a teacher actually messaged me this morning saying that two of the kids in the playground this week were kissing, two lads, and no one batted an eyelid, it was normal.

“It’s just normalised humanity. It’s just saying to the world how great the diverse spectrum of humanity is and that’s what it’s about for us.”

South African professional dancer Radebe, 34, also revealed that being a part of the first all-male pairing has actually brought him and his traditionalist mother closer together.

Radebe said: “My mum’s relationship with me has improved and it’s improved because of this partnership. I have won because my mum follows my journey with John religiously.

“If anything, that for me is the biggest takeaway from this partnership.

“I knew that when I told (her) about the partnership, she said, ‘oh, you’re dancing with a man’ and I said, ‘yes, I’m dancing with a man and his name is John’, and there was an awkward silence.

“Like everybody else, she also waited to see how it was going to play out because she is such a traditionalist. And I remember our first tango, she called me, she said ‘that was brilliant’.”

John and Johannes have been open about their Strictly journeys from the beginning and about using their dances to make impactful statements.

Last week, the couple chose to perform a contemporary routine to Adele’s Hometown Glory which viewers have found especially moving.

Whaite added: “We had a video message from a man last week and he was in his building outfit on the building site at five o’clock in the morning, he said ‘I’m a straight man but what you’ve done is blooming brilliant lads’.

“We’ve had so many people say they were doubtful at first of this partnership, but watching us dance, they can see it’s about the dance.

“For 90 seconds, we just dedicate ourselves to each other and the world sees it for what it is, which is art expression to performers.”

In Saturday night's final, the pair will be taking on three routines including a show dance to Florence and The Machine’s You Got The Love and their popular week three Pirates and the Caribbean Paso Doble.

Reflecting on his show dance, Whaite commented: “It’s fast, it’s breakneck speed, it’s dangerous.

"I’m gonna have to get double my life insurance but it’s brilliant, glittery, it just represents everything we are and everything we’ve achieved and to an absolute anthem.”

For their third dance, the pair will be dancing the Rumba which the judges have said they want to see again.

The Strictly Come Dancing final will air on BBC One at 7 pm on Saturday December 18.