John Whaite reveals who he would like to be paired with on Strictly Come Dancing

Great British Bake Off star John Whaite has speculated about who he could be partnered with on Strictly Come Dancing as part of the first all-male pairing – and said he hopes he gets to dance in heels.

The TV chef will make history in the show, after boxer Nicola Adams was paired with Katya Jones last year.

Discussing when he found out he was going to take part, he told Channel 4’s Steph’s Packed Lunch: “I got the call when I was in a supermarket on the frozen food aisle, I had to whisper to Paul (his partner) … ‘Oh my God’ … We got in the car and drove home in silence, we didn’t know how to process it.

“I feel sick, I’m sweating just thinking about it. Knowing my luck, I’ll fall down the stairs like Meryl Streep in Death Becomes Her, rip my knickers, let out a little trump, there’ll be sequins all over the place…”

He added he will find out who his partner is on Wednesday and must keep it a secret until the launch show airs on September 18.

He said: “There are four lads who I think are tall enough for me to dance with. There’s Graziano (Di Prima), Kai (Widdrington), Johannes (Radebe) and Aljaz (Skorjanec).

“They’re the four who I think are tall enough for me, but they might give me a shorter dancer and put him in heels. I’m really hoping I get to do a dance in heels.”

Asked what it means for him to be part of the first male couple in Strictly history, John said: “It’s a massive honour… If I’d seen two lads or lasses dancing together on Saturday night TV and nobody made a fuss about it, I don’t think I’d have grown up with quite so much shame for being gay.

“I just hope there are kids out there watching who don’t even question it, who watch it and think: ‘I am who I am and I’m comfortable with that, and I’m accepted and loved and can be loved for who I am.’ It’s a massive privilege.”

Steph’s Packed Lunch airs weekdays at 12.30pm on Channel 4 and All 4.