John Whaite and his partner Johannes Radebe have made it into the Strictly Come Dancing final.

They’ll be going head-to-head against AJ Odudu and her partner Kai Widdrington, and Rose Ayling-Ellis and her partner Giovanni Pernice, to see who will be taking home the glitterball trophy on December 18.

Whaite and Radebe have made history on this season of Strictly as the first all-male couple on the show, and the only same-sex couple to reach the final. They’re only the second same-sex couple on the show ever, with Nicola Adams’ stint in the 2020 competition cut short due to Covid-19.

Seeing two men dance together every Saturday night feels like a watershed moment. Even though representation in the media has improved for LGBTQ+ people, it still comes as something of a shock – particularly on such an established show such as Strictly, where the norm is for mixed-gender couples.

Whaite, who won The Great British Bake Off in 2012, has been open about his Strictly journey on Instagram. “I still feel so lucky to live in a world where I can dance with another man on Saturday night television and for it to be so unquestionably accepted; for it to be about the dance and the steps we take for the 90 seconds we are on the stage,” he wrote.

That isn’t to say it’s all been smooth sailing for Whaite – he’s written about being “ready for flak” when the partnership was announced, and his most recent Instagram post is about the negativity he’s received after reaching the final. However, he’s clear about why it’s important to see two men dancing together on prime time television. He wrote on Instagram: “As I’ve said from day one, if even just one child watches us and feels instantly more comfortable in their own skin and more accepted by the world, then it’s all a great step forward.”

Seeing Whaite and Radebe dance joyfully and freely next to the heterosexual couples is momentous for LGBTQ+ representation – and might be a source of inspiration and hope for the younger generation, showing them what’s possible. The couple have even made their dances into powerful statements – most recently in the semi-final, when they did an emotional contemporary routine to Adele’s Hometown Glory. Whaite said on Instagram the dance was, “About what it means to be a man – many men grow up shoehorned into boxes of masculinity. They’re told not to be camp, not to play with dolls, not to cry, not to express emotion. We wanted to demonstrate that men can be sensitive and kind and gentle, that we don’t have to be aggressive and numb and cold.”

Not only is it two men dancing together, but it’s two gay men and an interracial couple – a huge step for representation. Whaite told Attitude he originally wanted to paired with a straight partner, saying he thought that “would be the only way it would be accepted”, but then he realised “it would be wrong for it to be anyone but Johannes”.

Representation might make younger LGBTQ+ people feel less alone, and it helps the community seem less ‘othered’. It’s clear there’s still a long way to go until LGBTQ+ people feel fully accepted and safe in society, with Galop’s Hate Crime Report 2021 (galop.org.uk) showing two-thirds of respondents had experienced anti-LGBT+ violence or abuse.

Seeing Whaite and Radebe on screen has resonated with audiences – not only the younger generation, but older people who have never seen anything like it. Matthew Hodson, executive director at HIV and AIDS charity NAM (aidsmap.com) has gone viral for tweeting: “I wish this had been on Saturday night TV when I was a kid. I think every gay man over a certain age does. Same sex dancing is like same sex marriage: once it’s here, it seems so natural and right it’s hard to imagine why it ever never was.”

Hopefully Whaite and Radebe will pave the way for more same-sex couples – until it becomes par for the course, and isn’t even worth remarking on.

The Strictly Come Dancing Final 2021 takes place on December 18 at 7pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.