Exclusive: Bethany Antonia addresses 'Protect the Dolls' T-shirt edit, "The BBC had to do what they had to do”

Strictly Come Dancing’s Bethany Antonia says she was “thrilled to see so much support for the trans community” after the BBC edited out a trans rights slogan from her T-shirt.

The House of the Dragon star, 28, said "the BBC had to do what they had to do" after she rehearsed wearing a T-shirt branded with the slogan "Protect The Dolls", which was removed in footage broadcast earlier this month.

Speaking exclusively to Digital Spy, Bethany explains: "I think I made a choice to wear that T-shirt without considering the fact that it was linked to a charity, and that it was linked to what some people consider a brand.

"The BBC had to do what they had to do when they edited it out, to keep it fair for everybody.

“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 T-shirt - which had been prominently visible in social media videos - features a motto used to support the rights of trans women, with proceeds from sales donated to the UK trans charity, Not A Phase.

Bethany - who believes “it only a matter of years before we see a trans contestant” on the dance competition - continues: “The main takeaway for me was I just felt so thrilled to see so much support for the trans community online.

“It started a conversation, and I got to see so many people coming out to support my trans brothers and sisters, and that's all that matters.”

Bethany - who is in a same-sex couple with professional dancer Nancy Xu - does not believe the message behind the slogan impacted the controversial decision to remove it, after the BBC said it was its standard practice to remove “overt branding or slogans”.

She continued: “I think things happen so fast on this show. We are just in rehearsals every single day. We were in training. We had the T-shirt; we had the 'not' T-shirt.

“I think the show just made the call based on the information that they had, and what they would have done with any T-shirt branding that wasn't allowed to go out.”

This week, Bethany and Nancy will perform an “intense and sexy” American Smooth to ‘Love Song’ by Sara Bareilles.

It is only six years since the first same sex pairing, Olympic boxer Nicola Adams and professional dancer Katya Jones, appeared on screen in 2020 - something Bethany has previously credited with helping her feel comfortable to come out.

With tonight’s sultry performance demonstrating how far Strictly’s representation has come, Bethany says: “I feel so emotional.”

She believes a trans Strictly contestant would be “empowering for the whole community”, helping the show develop its inclusivity.

She said: “I would love that! I think it would be amazing. I think it would be so empowering for the whole community, and I think the show is just, year on year, becoming much more inclusive.

“The show is sort of learning with every year, every new contestant; it's learning as it goes. I think it's only a matter of years before we see a trans contestant.”

A spokesperson for the BBC previously said in a statement about the edit of the 10th October broadcast: “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.”

In 2024, Kaiser Chiefs’ frontman Ricky Wilson’s T-shirt, which read “Trans Rights Are Human Rights”, was blurred during Michael McIntyre’s Big Show.

In 2017, Clean Bandit singer Grace Chatto’s T-shirt supporting then-Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn was also blurred.

Strictly Come Dancing continues tonight at 6:30pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.