Season 30 will mark the first time the dance competition series has ever had a same-sex couple competing for the mirrorball trophy.
Dancing With the Stars is set to make history with its upcoming 30th season!
For the first time ever, the competition series will feature a same-sex dance couple competing together for the mirrorball trophy, ABC announced via social media on Thursday and during its TCA presentation to the press. JoJo Siwa will be partnered with a female pro, who will be announced during premiere night.
"I am so excited about this. I think a lot of people are going to be excited about this," host Tyra Banks exclaimed during the presentation. "I think it's going to save lives. It's going to change lives. It's going to make a lot of noise and the noise that needs to be made."
"For the first time ever, we're going to have a same-sex couple on the show," executive producer Andrew Llinares revealed. "JoJo is going to be paired with a female pro dancer, who will be revealed on the premiere. We are so, so excited that JoJo, you're doing this, and for everyone to experience it."
Siwa then expressed her excitement about the history-making announcement.
"I think it breaks a wall that's never been broken down before," she said. "I think it's really special that, not only now do I get to share with the world that you're going to love who you want to love, but also you can dance with who you want to dance with."
"There are a lot of barriers we're going to have to break through. Who leads? How do you dress? What shoes do you wear?" she continued. "It's all something that I'm looking forward to and doing something that's never been done before. It's going to be tricky but it's going to give so much to people out there. People of the LGBTQ community, everyone. People who feel just a little different. It's going to give them a sense of, 'Wait a second? A girl can dance with a girl?' Obviously, why not? I think that's really special that I get to do that on this show. I'm so excited."
As for who she'd like to be partnered up with? Lindsay Arnold, Jenna Johnson or Britt Stewart!
"If I got one of those three I would just be so happy," she gushed. "I think their choreography is amazing."
Many DWTS fans have been wondering for a while now whether the show would ever feature a same-sex pairing, especially after the British version of the series, Strictly Come Dancing, implemented the idea in 2020. It all happened after Olympic boxer Nicola Adams requested to be partnered with a woman, BBC News reported at the time.
Siwa's DWTS casting comes just months after she publicly came out about her sexuality and revealed she had a girlfriend, Kylie Prew. The Dance Moms alum later opened up about her "gay awakenings" in a candid chat with fellow LGBTQ member and advocate Demi Lovato.
"I've been figuring out my gay awakenings recently. I think I realized that my very first gay awakening was Jenna Dewan's performance on Lip Sync Battle," Siwa said on 4D With Demi Lovato, referencing Dewan's infamous "Pony" routine. "I think that was one of them. But do you remember your dancer, her name is JoJo Gomez, and you did 'Cool for the Summer' together? I remember seeing that and just being a little too interested."
"I always knew with me, but I always said I'm not going to do anything with it or be like, 'Hey, by the way, I'm gay, but I'm not in love with a girl yet,'" she added. "I was like, 'I'll wait until I actually have a girlfriend or I have a girl that I'm in love with and I'll do something with it.' And that happened."
In addition to Siwa, ABC also announced during Thursday's TCA presentation that Olympic gymnast Sunisa "Suni" Lee will compete during DWTS' 30th season. The full list of celebrities and pros competing in the ballroom this season will be revealed Wednesday, Sept. 8 on Good Morning America.
Season 30 of DWTS kicks off Monday, Sept. 20 on ABC. In the meantime, hear more in the video below.
-- With reporting by Philiana Ng.
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