Bethany

Bethany Antonia has said she chose to wear her ‘Protect the Dolls’ T-shirt during her Strictly Come Dancing rehearsals without realising it was linked to a charity

Bethany Antonia has broken her silence on the Strictly Come Dancing censorship row, defending the BBC’s decision to blur a pro-trans slogan on her t-shirt.

The House of the Dragon actress spoke out after the broadcaster faced intense viewer backlash for editing out the slogan “Protect the Dolls” from a t-shirt Bethany, 28, wore during week three rehearsal footage. The star, who is paired with Chinese professional dancer Nancy Xu, 35, on the show, admitted that she chose to wear the top without fully realising its commercial and charitable ties.

She said: “I think I made a choice to wear that T-shirt without considering the fact that it was linked to a charity, and that it was linked to what some people consider a brand. The BBC had to do what they had to do when they edited it out, to keep it fair for everybody.”

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However, she told Digital Spy that she was “thrilled to see so much support for the trans community” as she added: “I stand with my trans family in every way, and they knew what I was thinking when I wore that T-shirt. And that’s all that matters.”

In her Digital Spy interview, Bethany added that she would like to see a trans contestant on Strictly in the future, as she believed this would be “empowering for the whole community”. She shared: “The show is sort of learning with every year, every new contestant; it’s learning as it goes. I think it’s only a matter of years before we see a trans contestant.”

During the October 10 episode of Strictly, a clip was aired of Bethany wearing a top with “PROTECT THE DOLLS” written on it as viewers watched her during rehearsals. But later on in the show, the words were removed to make it appear as if the t-shirt was plain white.

The phrase “Protect The Dolls” is a pro-trans slogan which was first written on a top from fashion designer Conner Ives in 2025. Since then been worn by celebrities and has helped to raised hundreds of thousands for charities.

The term traces back to the 1980s Black and Latina underground ballroom scene in New York City, where “doll” was used as a term of solidarity for transgender women.

Many people hit out at the BBC on social media, accusing the broadcaster of censorship. However, a BBC spokesperson responded, saying: “As is standard practice on any entertainment show on the BBC and in line with our editorial guidelines, appropriate steps are taken to reduce the inclusion of any overt branding or slogans that may be present, regardless of the wording or statement in question.”

That didn’t stop many online responding with annoyance, as a viewer said: “Ironically the phrase originated in the ballroom scene decades ago. It’s genuinely pathetic that the BBC refuses to allow anything remotely pro-trans to air. Love Bethany even more though.”

Another fumed: “The decision to digitally scrub the ‘Protect the Dolls’ slogan from Bethany Antonia’s T-shirt during Strictly Come Dancing is a shameful and cowardly act of censorship.”

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