Sarah Jane Nader isn’t the first same-sex pairing on Dancing With The Stars, here’s who was
In fact there were two who came before her
Love Thy Nader star Sarah Jane Nader and Hailey Bills are the first female same-sex pairing on Dancing With The Stars in four years, but as it turns out they’re not the first.
Sarah told People: “I’m so comfortable being around women, and I think that girlhood is such a powerful thing. The fact that we’re two strong young women stepping on the dance floor together is just a representation of that and also of my queerness.”
She has described being paired with Hailey as “such an honour” and a “crazy opportunity”, while Hailey said she is “so unbelievably excited” about the experience.
However, the first ever same-sex pairing on Dancing With The Stars prior to Sarah Jane Nader was with JoJo Siwa and Jenna Johnson in 2021.
JoJo said at the time: “I think that being paired with another female for the first time ever, first-ever same-sex couple, is such an honour. Love is so accepted and so celebrated that it’s not weird; it’s cool, it’s nice, it’s awesome. I’m happy I got to be the first, but I would never expect to be the last.”
Then the following year in 2022, Drag Race star Shangela starred on DWTS alongside Gleb Savchenko, creating the show’s first male-male celebrity/pro partnership.
Ahead of the season Shangela shared: “Seeing a drag queen with a male dancer is going to be something powerful.” Gleb added: “It’s all about art and love,” he said, adding that it didn’t matter whether “two guys” or “two girls” were dancing together. “To me it is creating something special,” Gleb said. “We have created history, and I love everything about it.” The pair made it all the way to the finale and they finished in fourth place.
For all the latest reality TV cast member news, scandals, gossip and updates – like Reality Shrine on Facebook.