Everyone knows about Strictly Come Dancing’s infamous curse.
Normally, the dark magic of the ballroom and the eldritch sorceries of stepping in time end in heartbreak for a couple close to the show.
However, there’s another lesser-known curse that fans think might finally be broken.
Specifically, fans have noted that female same-sex couples don’t tend to get very far in the competition.
In fact, Week 5 is the furthest a female same-sex couple has ever got, when comedian Jayde Adams and Karen Hauer danced together in 2022.
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However, after seeing Bethany Antonia and Nancy Xu shake their stuff tonight, superstitious Strictly fans think that might be about to change.
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‘Bethany and Nancy are about to finally end the curse of same sex female couples leaving early,’ wrote @zerkeymd on X. ‘My God, that was incredible.’
‘They weren’t alone in thinking there was something special about the couple.’
@sasha_ddm was similarly impressed.
‘I absolutely love Bethany and Nancy already, and seeing two women dancing together makes my heart so incredibly happy,’ they tweeted. ‘Hoping and praying they go really far in the competition.’
@quandromache meanwhile added: ‘”That’s the first bit of good dancing we’ve seen all night” (He’s not wrong, though Bethany and Nancy were incredible and miles ahead of others!!).’
The pair had already impressed viewers. Fans were raving about Elizabeth and Nancy’s pairing last week, and even then they thought they had the makings of a pair destined for the finale.
‘Strictly FINALLY having a female same sex pairing with finalist potential is AMAZING,’ Strictly fan Siobhan wrote on X.
‘Nancy has been one of my favourite pros since the day she joined; I adore her energy and joy. She and Bethany are going to be a special partnership and a VERY important one!!’
Nancy joined Strictly in 2019, receiving her first celebrity partner two years later with CBBC presenter Rhys Stephenson; however, it’s been two years since she last got the chance to dance.
Who are the Strictly couples for the 2026 series?
The full line-up of celebrities and their pro dancer partners are:
- Lacey Turner and Vito Coppola
- Graeme Hall and Lauren Oakley
- Jowita Przystal and Lawrence Robb
- Will Best and Dianne Buswell
- Shaun Wright-Phillips and Alexis Warr
- Melanie Walters and Aljaz Skorjanec
- Mark Karmalita and Tabby Stoecker,
- Julian Caillon and Dame Sarah Storey
- Maddie Ingoldsby and Cach Mercer
- Chris Appleton and Amy Dowden
- John Nellis and Katya Jones
- Carlos Gu and Jaime Winstone
- Nikita Kuzmin and Dani Dyer
- Kai Widdrington and Delta Goodrem
- Nancy Xu and Bethany Antonia
Meanwhile, Bethany’s is best known for playing Lady Baela Targaryen in House of the Dragon.
The 28-year-old said she ‘couldn’t believe’ that she’d been cast in Strictly when she was announced in July.
‘I have grown up watching Strictly, and I am so excited to take the challenge on and (hopefully!) learn a new skill. See you on the dancefloor!’ she said at the time.’
Strictly Come Dancing airs on weekends on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.