Strictly Come Dancing's Johannes Radebe shares love of Swindon

Johannes Radebe is a Sunday Times bestselling author, Strictly Come Dancing professional and has toured the UK with three solo sellout shows.

Radebe is now set to make his musical debut in 2025 starring as drag queen Lola in Kinky Boots the musical.

But while sharing his emotional journey to get to this point on BBC’s Saturday Kitchen which aired on August 24, Radebe made sure to give Swindon a shoutout.

The dancer told host Matt Tebbutt how as a gay, Black, South African ballroom dancer, he has had a rough road to being accepted in society.

Johannes Radebe appeared on BBC's Saturday Kitchen and shared his love for Swindon (Image: BBC)

 “My story is a story of trying, of perseverance, and just being who you are and waiting for everyone else around you to adjust,” he said.

“For a long time, society tells you that there’s something wrong with you, but I walk taller and there’s no shame anymore.”

Referencing his previous tours which stopped off in Swindon, Radebe added: “Now I can walk around in Swindon and people are like ‘oh okay it’s Johannes’.

“Oh but it’s lovely, it is. It’s nice to be seen.”

The comment caused host Tebbutt and guest star chefs Hasan Semay and Georgina Hayden to burst into laughter at the reference to the Wiltshire town.

“I love that you picked Swindon,” said the host.

But it’s no surprise that when discussing acceptance Radebe brought up Swindon, as his solo tour Freedom which appeared at Swindon’s Wyvern Theatre in April 2022 and May 2023 was met with enthusiasm and love.

Johannes Radebe has performed at Swindon's Wyvern Theatre multiple times (Image: Instagram)

The TV dancer sold out the theatre in 2022 and received a standing ovation from Swindon crowds for the dance show which shared his life story starting from his hometown in South Africa to becoming one of Strictly's biggest stars.

The all-new production of Kinky Boots featuring Johannes will be directed by Leicester Curve artistic director Nikolai Foster and the Strictly Come Dancing professional will star alongside Dan Partridge (Grease, Mamma Mia!) as Charlie Price.

The tour kicks off at the Leicester Curve in Leicester on 17 January 2025, before visiting venues including Woking, Brighton Bristol, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Manchester, Liverpool, Oxford, Stockton and Milton Keynes.

Despite the Swindon shoutout on national TV, Kinky Boots will not be playing at Swindon's Wyvern Theatre, and Swindon fans will have to travel to Oxford to see it.