I'm not homophobic, truly, but this rumour about Boy George dancing with Matthew is really winding me up

Please, please, please can we stick to boy/girl couples for SCD?????

Would they dare? Before we know it they will be lining George Michael to dance with Ian.

And Sandi Toksvig partnering Karen brady!!!

Honestly, has the BBC lost the plot? This is crazy!

What rumour?

Isn't there a rule at the big professional comps that all couples must be boy/girl? Not that Strictly by any means follows professional standards...

That's what's worrying me!!!

Will he be wearing a dress and stilettoes?

I'm not sure how genuine this rumour is .. but given the state of the BBC it wouldn't surprise me ... I'm more concerned about some of the names being put forward for next year ... Paul Gascoigne .... Jeff Brazier ... Calum Best ... Sam Fox

I'd heard about Gazzer - surely he's not up to it?

I would be extremely suprised if this were true.......there have been gay people on SCD before and they didnt dance with a male partner, its not what the majority of SCD viewers switch on for every week.

I cant see either Matthew or Ian wanting to dance with a man on SCD.....gay men LIKE women.

Rumours this early on are hardly ever true. This time last year I think the rumours were Lily Allen, Tim Henman, Johnny Vegas, Nadine Coyle, Zara Phillips, Ronan Keating, Dan O'Connor, Nick Hewer and Margaret Mountford

Whilst I totally agree Katie ......Zara Phillips did confirm in an interview during the last SCD that she HAD been asked to take part and turned it down.

Wasnt Boy George recently convicted of something or have I got that wrong.

That's true, did he get a custodial sentance?

I hadn't heard that.. but it still kind of proves a point, because she was one of the most persistent rumours right up to the press release, in spite of the fact that she had said no.

He got community service when in New York for some offence but can't remember what it was; unless he has since been released, he got a custodial sentence here for imprisoning and assaulting a male escort - nice guy, NOT! The latter coming after he had been interviewed on some chat show saying how he had learnt his lessons, and turned his life around.......?

Thanks kaycee. I think, bearing that in mind, it must simply be a rumour then about him taking part in SCD. I really do hope so because I don't like the idea of boy/boy and girl/girl dancing. I'm a bit conventional like that!

But they'd love to dance with each other.... though not on scd!!

I haven't heard this rumour, are there any links to it?

Girl/girl dancing brings that glorious Joyce Grenfell monologue to mind, where she's on about 'dancing bust to bust', sorry but I just can't see it happening.

I can't find any links so hopefully it's not true. A colleague of mine said she heard it on the radio this morning.

Your colleague probably read it in the Daily Mail ...

It is the kind of rumour designed to make the BBC look bad - which is, after all, the Mail's raison d'etre.

I'd really struggle to find any truth in this - putting someone with Boy George's recent history in SCD would be such a PR gaff.

And I very much doubt that Matthew would want to go there!

Being involved with dancing, I've a lot of gay friends(!) and have watched single-sex dance competitions where the standard is often very high. (They have comps all over the world, including world chmpships; Gay Olympics etc etc).

At social dances, for years, if 2 women get up and dance then no one bats an eyelid! But some people still get offended at the sight of 2 men dancing together. Personally, I feel let them get offended ... they are doing no harm, and should have the same rights as the women.


However, and my gay friends agree, partner-dancing is intended for male-female partnerships and while I agree that single-sex dancing should be allowed, all-male couples do not look right, and neither do all-female couples.

I know what you mean, and agree, about the Daily Mail. I can't find anything in there and I've searched on 'Boy George' and 'Strictly Come Dancing'.

I am feeling a bit more reassured now!

Just a thought, it's not April Fools Day today is it?

No, that normally happens in April

I'm sure that BG is currently in prison, and likely to be for some time http://www.martyrmantras.com/boygeorgeuk/realman.htm 15 months if this story is correct. (Please don't think that I agree with the writer of the statement.)

I can't see Auntie Beeb giving high profile publicity to someone fresh out of jail, even if he serves a reduced sentence for good behaviour.