BBC Strictly Come Dancing's Johannes Radebe's bullying struggle and bond with Corrie star

Johannes Radebe has become a firm favourite with Strictly Come Dancing fans since bursting onto our screens in 2018. He made history with the show's first same sex dance - and was part of the first all-male partnership to compete, alongside John Whaite.

It's been a difficult journey to stardom for the South African, who faced bullying at school for his sexuality and at one point ending up homeless. And although those days are long behind him, he's also been targeted by online trolls for breaking boundaries on Strictly.

Away from Strictly, he's also taken to the road with his own dance extravaganza House of Jojo, penned autobiography Jojo: Finally Home. Next year he will tour the UK as part of Kinky Boots: The Musical - but first there's the small matter of bidding for the Strictly Glitterball Trophy with 2024 celebrity partner Montell Douglas - aka Fire from Gladiator.

Read on to find about his life and career so far.

Early life in South Africa and homelessness

The star was born in Zamdela, Orange Free State, South Africa on April 27, 1987. He and his sister went to a local dance school together.

Their parents separated while they were still at school. At just 13 years old, Johannes left home to live with a dance coaching couple in Gauteng province, attending a secondary school in the Johannesburg suburb of Ennerdale.

Johannes went on to land his first job as a dance teacher in Johannesburg. However there were times that he was earning so little, he couldn't afford an apartment of his own and ended up homeless. He would pay taxi drivers so he could fall asleep for a bit in the back of their cabs, or he'd secretly stay overnight in the dance studio.

With the encouragement of a friend, he went on to audition for a production on a cruise ship - and landed the role. He spent seven years performing while sailing the seas.

The star has won the Professional South African Latin championships twice and has been the Amateur Latin South African champion three times. He joined South Africa's version of Strictly Come Dancing in 2014, before appearing on Dancing With The Stars and joining the touring cast of dance show Burn the Floor - then Strictly came calling.

School life, bullying and how dance saved him

Johannes has previously opened up about the bullying he faced at school. He revealed that the only two places he felt safe as a child 'were at home and dance practice', adding: "That's the two places where my world revolved around."

He said he stumbled into a dance class at the local recreation hall when he was seven, and fell in love, rebuilding his self-esteem and confidence. He told the Guardian it gave him “a sense of belonging, a sense of worth. To get applause made me feel like somebody, for however long it lasted.

"I knew there was a world where I didn’t have to feel ashamed, because people understood where I came from. When I went back into the real world, everything seemed so bland. That dance world was sparkly, kind, it was accommodating.”

He says dancing made him feel "invincible": "When you walk on to any dance floor you take up space in a room. The music started playing and I knew there was a place where no one can touch me.”

He has also recalled: "I didn't have a childhood like other kids where I could just roam the streets without being picked on because I was a bit happy and flamboyant. That was my reality and I used to get it from kids and adults alike. We came from a township and people are so stereotyped. It's stifling and it was like that for many years.

"High school especially was terrible," Johannes said before sharing how he had his head put down the loo at school. "I'd avoid going to the boys' bathroom because of the bullying. One day when they dunked my head in the toilet pot, that was the last day.

"I was like, 'I'm never going to go there' and I'd go into the staff room and use the teachers' bathrooms. I had to sneak in there. I had to find ways to navigate this world and also, you start believing you probably deserve it and I think that was the hardest thing."

How Strictly Come Dancing changed his life

While with Burn the Floor, Johannes caught the eye of the producers of Strictly and was asked to join the cast. He said it felt like his "reward" for "sticking it out" with his dancing.

Joannes joined Strictly Come Dancing in 2018 but wasn't partnered on the show until the following year. He was part of Strictly's first same-sex dance with fellow pro Graziano Di Prima and said performing in black stilettos for the routine felt like “my coming-out party”. He told the Guardian: “There was something very empowering about saying: this is who I am. I said to myself: enough of the shame, enough of hiding, just enough.”

He made his competitive Strictly debut with former Coronation Street actress Catherine Tyldesley who became a friend for life. Speaking in Hello! magazine, he said: "I was so lucky to be paired up with the UK’s sweetheart. She was on Team Johannes from day one. She made me believe in myself more."

And Catherine, from Walkden, said about their bond: "We just clicked from the start. As well as being a wonderful teacher, he has the most genuine beautiful soul. He’s kind, honest and giving with everyone he meets and I trust him implicitly. I tell him stuff I wouldn’t tell most people. We’re friends for life and I feel so grateful to have found him."

The following year he was partnered with Men Behaving Badly's Caroline Quentin. Then came his partnership with Great British Bake Off Star John, from Wigan. The pair made history as the first ever same-sex couple to compete on the show and finished as runners-up, losing out to EastEnders actress Rose Ayling-Ellis and Giovanni Pernice.

On dancing with John, Johannes told Hello!: "I’ve never felt so liberated. For the first time in my life, I feel accepted for who I am. That says so much about the people of this country. To be able to dance with a friend I respect and adore is joyous. There’s bromance galore between us, but there were no male and female roles, just free movement. It was beautiful, classy and elegant."

He told the Guardian Strictly has changed his and his family’s life. His father died when he was a teenager and he was able to build his mother a house, saying: “I know that my family is OK and that is what I’ve always wanted."

John Whaite's 'love' for Johannes

Having spent long days training together for most of the week, John began to realise that he'd grown feelings for Johannes - despite being engaged to partner Paul Atkins. Writing in his autobiography 'Dancing on Eggshells: Kitchen, Ballroom & the Messy Inbetween', the star admitted how his feelings were so strong that, at one point, he was even jealous of the beads of sweat on Johannes' body.

John wrote: "After that final dance, I hung up my clothes for the last time. I felt a sense of loss. Not because the competition was over, I was knackered and ready for a break, but because I wouldn't get to see Johannes every single day."

He added: "I watched him as he sat on the window sill of the dressing room drinking a glass of champagne, still sparkling in his bright white show dance outfit. I was jealous of the sweat beads as they shimmered on his beautiful skin. I wanted to be close to him... We hugged goodbye, I didn't want to let go."

John also admitted to The Times he and his partner Paul had to take some time out after the show as he worked through his feelings for Johannes: "I fell in love with him. I can't speak for him – because I'm not allowed to, legally – but it felt like there was love there. So yes, I fell in love with Johannes. I still love Johannes. Of course I do."

For Johannes, the pair's relationship was a healing process that enabled him to grow in confidence without feeling judged. On the Reign with Josh Smith podcast, he said: "I have fallen in love with my art form again because of John. The opportunity to be so creative with what we had to come up with every week. I was trying to figure things out as I was going along, not once did he make me feel otherwise."

John and Paul eventually reunited and the TV star made the decision not to contact Johannes as he felt it would be disrespectful to his fiance. Meanwhile, Johannes told The Times they will remain friends for life after sharing 'such a beautiful experience'.

"What we agreed is that, regardless of what life throws at us, we will always keep [this friendship] going. 'We are friends for life', I always say to him. 'I know where you live. You cannot get rid of me.' I still speak to him," he said.

After John, he was paired with presenter Ellie Taylor and former tennis played Annabel Croft. And this year he's teamed up with Gladiators star Montell Douglas.

A man of many talents

Elsewhere, Johannes has proven he's a man of many talents, previously showcasing his cooking and sewing skills. The star had stints on Celebrity MasterChef and the The Great British Sewing Bee's celebrity Christmas special, winning the latter.

He is also set to take on a lead role in a major musical next year. The professional will tour the country as part of Kinky Boots: The Musical with eight shows planned for Manchester's Palace Theatre in February 2025.

The musical, written by Harvey Fierstein and featuring music from upcoming Glastonbury performer Cyndi Lauper, is based on the 2005 film and follows the story of a man who inherits a shoe factory from his father and, in a quest to save his business, partners with a drag queen to produce a line of high-heeled boots.

Johannes will take on the role of drag queen Lola, a character who has been previously performed by the likes of Billy Porter, Matt Henry, Wayne Brady and Callum Francis in the past. Starring alongside Johannes will be Dan Partridge as Charlie Price.

How he deals with social media abuse

Johannes has faced trolling online, especially around the time of his Strictly partnership with John. He said: "People would tell me and John that we were disgusting, that I should never come back to Africa, that I’m a disgrace."

He said he has learned not to engage with social media abuse and to try to ignore it: “I’ve created a world where that has no impact on me any more. It’s not me that has a problem."

He also faced social media abuse for dancing in heels on Strictly - and says he was surprised at who the messages came from. He told the Guardian: "What took me by surprise was it was messages from mums. Saying it’s disgusting. And you can imagine what makes me sad – they have kids.

"Of course it’s amplified by social media. If those women were standing in front of you, would they say those things to your face? I choose to respond to them in my actions."

Personal life and romance

Johannes is thought to be single but the star previously told The Times of his desire to be in a relationship: "I want a partner. want one. I need one. Every aspect of my life is great except for that. I deserve love and I never ever thought that I deserved to be loved in that way."