The BBC have announced that they have no plans to introduce same-sex celebrity and dance partners to their beloved talent show, Strictly Come Dancing.
The statement comes after Eggheads star CJ de Mooi claimed that after requesting a male dance partner, he was rejected from taking part in the show.
He told Radio 1’s Newsbeat:
"I thought, as it's now 2015, it's time this format in Britain had a same-sex couple," and was unhappy with the BBC allegedly saying that it wouldn’t happen as Strictly is a ‘family’ show.
The quiz champion proceeded:
"I think their announcement that they're a 'family show' and have no plans for same-sex couples seems that they're being a little bit narrow-minded and defining family in some very narrow terms...I think it's horrible to say 'your family has to be one man, one woman and 2.4 children'. What a revolting thing to say in 2015.
He went on:
"It's hardly conducive to a spirit of inclusivity, is it? I should think quite a few gay people watch Strictly and work on Strictly."
A BBC spokesman said in response:
"To avoid any misinterpretation the reference to 'family show' - meaning all kinds of families - was only ever intended to describe the kind of show Strictly is. It was not to explain casting decisions."
He added:
"*Strictly Come Dancing* has chosen the traditional format of mixed-sex couples. At the moment we have no plans to introduce same-sex couples in the competition."
A source went on to tell Newsbeat:
"We never approached nor had any plans to approach CJ to participate in this year's series of Strictly Come Dancing.
"CJ's agent gave us the opportunity to consider him but there was only one person we ever wanted from Eggheads and that was Jeremy Vine and we are delighted that we got our man."
Although CJ insists:
“To say that they were never seriously considering me I don't buy that because otherwise they would have told me very early on. Of course I would have loved to have done the show, I love it...But the fact again that there are no same-sex couples in this. I would have loved to have danced with Robin Windsor."
This all comes after* Strictly* judge, Craig Revel Horwood said in May 2015 that same-sex couples WILL hit our screens on* Strictly* within the next two years.
Here’s hoping for 2016.