Strictly Come Dancing star Johannes Radebe on creating ‘safe haven’ with LGBT+ community centre The Outside Project: ‘I wish I had grown up with a refuge I could run to’
supports HTML5 videoEver since Johannes Radebe joined Strictly Come Dancing in 2018, he has been a firm fan-favourite among viewers, delighting with his extraordinary talent and contagious zest for life.The South African dancer has made history on the programme on several occasions, performing an exquisite same-sex routine with Graziano Di Prima in 2019 before two years later, making it to the final of the competition with Great British Bake Off star John Whaite in the show’s first all-male couple.Johannes feels strongly about supporting other members of the LBGT+ community, with his latest venture seeing him joining forces with MADE.com to transform LGBTQIA+ community centre The Outside Project in London, one of the first ever charities to place focus on trans and gender non-conforming people.Metro.co.uk had the opportunity to sit down with Johannes, 35, at The Outside Project to witness the space’s ‘MADEover’ transformation firsthand, which included incorporating a sensory room, a beautifully-organised bookshelf, a lounge area with a TV, powerful artwork on the wall and a clothes rail full of colourful garments.Johannes spoke about the importance of the project to support members of the LGBTQIA+ community who are facing issues including homelessness and feeling endangered, while also opening up about his experience growing up gay in South Africa and how a space like The Outside Project could have impacted him.I just feel like we have all experienced rejection, especially as a part of the LGBTQI+ community.
When I heard about what MADE wanted to do, I honestly just wanted to jump on board some of their stories, of course I can relate.
