Bethany Antonia, a contestant on Strictly Come Dancing, has addressed the controversy surrounding the BBC's decision to edit out a pro-trans rights slogan from her T-shirt during a rehearsal clip. The actress, known for her role in House of the Dragon, explained that while she stands in solidarity with her transgender "family," she understood the broadcaster's need to remove potentially branded or slogan-bearing items to ensure impartiality.
"The BBC had to do what they had to do when they edited it out, to keep it fair for everybody," Antonia told Digital Spy. "But I stand with my trans family in every way, and they knew what I was thinking when I wore that T-shirt. And that’s all that matters."
The slogan in question, "protect the dolls," is understood to signify solidarity with transgender women. The BBC's decision to blur the slogan when a clip of Antonia wearing the shirt was shown during a live show segment sparked outrage among viewers on social media platform X (formerly Twitter). Many criticized the move as censorship and indicative of a growing anti-LGBTQ+ stance by the broadcaster.
This incident follows the BBC's recent decision to axe RuPaul's Drag Race after 11 seasons, a move that also drew criticism.
In response to the backlash, a BBC spokesperson stated, "As is standard practice on any entertainment show on the BBC and in line with our editorial guidelines, appropriate steps are taken to reduce the inclusion of any overt branding or slogans that may be present, regardless of the wording or statement in question."
Antonia and her professional partner Nancy Xu performed an Argentine Tango to "All The Things She Said" by Harrison during a recent Saturday show. The pair received mixed feedback from the judges, with scores totaling 25 points. They had previously been saved by the judges in a dance-off against Dame Sarah Storey the week prior.
