Johannes Radebe: Trolls told me not to go back to Africa after 'Strictly' same-sex pairing

Johannes Radebe has revealed he had messages from trolls telling him not to go back to Africa after he was in a same-sex partnership on Strictly Come Dancing.

The pro dancer was paired with Bake Off star John Whaite in the last series of the BBC ballroom show, with the pair making history as Strictly's first all-male couple.

Speaking on Loose Women – where an all-male panel had taken over for the day – Radebe said he tends not to spend much time on social media anyway because it “plays with” his mind.

Read more: John Whaite 'comfortable in own skin for first time' thanks to Johannes Radebe

“After everything, because you know, you get the trolls, you get everything,” he said.

“I was like, I am opening myself to a world that is out there that does not deserve to have an opinion about my life.”

But the star, who is South African, said he did have a look at what people were saying when he was paired with Whaite.

“I did have a glimpse because you know what, there is good out there which was nice to see,” he said.

“But there was also backlash and it was just not nice to hear things like, ‘Do not come back to Africa because of who you are’ and stuff like that.”

Radebe and Whaite were a big hit on the BBC ballroom show.

And earlier this year Radebe revealed that it had changed his relationship with his mum.

Speaking on This Morning, he said: “For the first time we can speak about my sexuality openly.”

Read more: Strictly 2021's best moments of the series

He told hosts Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary: “There was no problem but it was something that we never addressed, it was something we never spoke about.”

Watch: Strictly's John and Johannes reveal training fall out