The Dancing On Ice audience cheered as same-sex dance partners, Ian "H" Watkins and Matt Evers, made history when they became the first same-sex pair on the show.
Steps singer Watkins danced with professional skater Evers to Panic! At The Disco's High Hopes.
Exploding onto the ice in glorious technicolour, it's @Ianhwatkins & @TheMattEvers's first skate! 🎤 #DancingOnIce pic.twitter.com/cG0YThDMcW
— Dancing on Ice (@dancingonice) January 5, 2020
The 43-year-old cried after the performance explaining why dancing with a man was important to him, saying he felt: "Emotional because I have wanted this for so long and it means so much to so many people. And the world is ready for this."
Dancing On Ice's new judge John Barrowman was also emotional and explained it was because the pair "represent someone who is like me".
In an interview before the programme, Watkins said: "Before we had our first couple of training sessions I was very prepared for it to be very different. But from the moment we got on the ice and we started working together it feels normal."
Ahead of their history-making skate tonight, @Ianhwatkins & @TheMattEvers tell @KemCetinay about their approach to performing... #DancingOnIce pic.twitter.com/xLdsKqVV8f
— Dancing on Ice (@dancingonice) January 5, 2020
He added: "I don't want us out there and on the show in here, I don't want us to look different, I don't want it to feel different, or be treated differently."
"This first routine is about humanity, this first routine is about progression within the world right now and there is so much negative press that's going on in the world that I was very sensitive to the fact that I wanted to feel good and I want it to look good you know?" he said.
"Before the show began the pair said that it was about progression in the world today. It feels completely normal, we don't expect to be treated differently."
After they had performed, the pair wrote on social media:
WE DID IT!!!!!!! THANKYOU EVERYONE for your messages of love and support! I'm totally gobsmacked! But tonights skate was bigger than Matt & I... it was a message of equality and inclusion! Let it resound across the world! #DancingOnIce #DOI2020 #TeamHandMatt 👬⛸🌈 pic.twitter.com/u6RrwGQ7YE
— Ian H Watkins (@Ianhwatkins) January 5, 2020
Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I felt nothing but love in the room. So proud of @Ianhwatkins and thank you all for the unending support. Now "it" doesn't need to be a "thing". @dancingonice pic.twitter.com/XkTHXHjZJy
— Matt Evers (@TheMattEvers) January 5, 2020
Delighted viewers also tweeted how happy they were to see a same-sex couple performing on primetime TV.
"The world was ready for this. This is normal." Hats off to @dancingonice for featuring the first same sex couple! 👏🏼 🌈 💪🏼 #DancingOnIce pic.twitter.com/RsiobRTH6z
— Orlaith Clinton (@OrlaithClinton) January 5, 2020
"Don't they know there’s kids watching this"... that can now grow up knowing it’s okay to be who they are😭 crying at #DancingOnIce pic.twitter.com/bM6hUPIDKS
— James Barr (@imjamesbarr) January 5, 2020
TV history being made... our first sane sex dance couple on TV! My section 28 teen self is screaming! Thank you @dancingonice pic.twitter.com/1zIeMNthKb
— John Naples-Campbell (@JNaplesCampbell) January 5, 2020
H and Matt proving there is nothing "weird" about two men dancing together! It's just two people, looking great! 👍🏼 #DOI #DANCINGONICE
— Kelly (@kelly194282) January 5, 2020
