House Of The Dragon actor Bethany Antonia has taken on the dragons of Westeros, and now she’ll take on the ballroom
BY NIC CROSARA, IMAGE BY BBC
Summer is almost over, which means we’ll soon return to the glittery ballroom for the 2026 instalment of Strictly Come Dancing. We fans are excited to see what magic will occur on the dance floor this time around. This year’s line-up consists of Lacey Turner, Dani Dyer, Delta Goodrem, Chris Appleton, Cach Mercer, Will Best, Dame Sarah Storey and Jaime Winstone. Earlier today, we were introduced to the ninth contestant: House Of The Dragon’s Bethany Antonia.
The queer star has become a fan favourite for her portrayal of Lady Baela Targaryen in the hugely popular Game Of Thrones prequel show. She’s also wowed audiences on stage as Eurydice in the Tony Award-winning musical Hadestown. We can’t wait to see what she brings to the glamorous world of Strictly.
On joining the cast, Bethany has said: “I can’t quite believe that I will be heading to the Strictly ballroom this September! I have grown up watching Strictly, and I am so excited to take the challenge on and (hopefully!) learn a new skill. See you on the dancefloor!”
Fans of the competition will know that in 2020, Nicola Adams and professional dancer Katya Jones made history as the first competing same-sex couple. In 2021, John Whaite was paired with pro Johannes Radebe. In 2022, Jayde Adams was paired with Karen Hauer (and appeared on the cover of DIVA magazine!) and Richy Anderson was paired with Giovanni Pernice. In 2023, Layton Williams was paired with Nikita Kuzmin. Since then, there have been no same-sex pairings on the show. With that said, there have been a number of same-sex professional dances during shows. But could this year see the return of same-sex competitors? I guess we’ll have to see.
No matter who she is paired with, we can’t wait to see what Bethany’s Strictly journey will look like. We’ll be rooting for her.
Love media made by and for LGBTQIA+ women and gender diverse people? Then you’ll love DIVA. We’ve been spotlighting the community for over 30 years. Here’s how you can get behind queer media and keep us going for another generation: linkin.bio/ig-divamagazine
Did you know that DIVA has now become a charity? Our magazine is published by the DIVA Charitable Trust. You can find out more about the organisation and how you can offer your support here: divacharitabletrust.com
