Strictly’s Bethany Antonia defends BBC after ‘Protect The Dolls’ top censored
Bethany Antonia’s ‘Protect The Dolls’ slogan was edited out (BBC)
Bethany Antonia has said the BBC had no choice but to blur the “Protect The Dolls” slogan on her T-shirt during Strictly Come Dancing.
Speaking to Digital Spy, the 28-year-old actor addressed the moment the message was edited out of footage broadcast earlier this month. “The BBC had to do what they had to do when they edited it out, to keep it fair for everybody,” she said.
Antonia made clear her support for trans people, adding: “But 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.”
She also said she had not considered how the top might be treated under the show’s rules. “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,” Antonia said.
Antonia said she did not believe the message behind the slogan drove the decision, and suggested it was about the broadcaster’s compliance and branding rules.
She added that she was happy to see “so much support for the trans community online”, and that it “started a conversation”.
Why did the BBC blur the ‘Protect The Dolls’ slogan?
A BBC spokesperson said at the time: “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.”
The “Protect The Dolls” slogan on the T-shirt is associated with backing the rights of trans women, with more than $600,000 being raised for trans charities since designer Connor Ives launched it at London Fashion Week in February 2025.
Looking at the future of Strictly, Antonia added: “I think it’s only a matter of years before we see a trans contestant.”
Who is Bethany Antonia?
Antonia, who is also known for HBO/Sky’s House of the Dragon, has spoken about LGBTQ+ representation on Strictly and what visibility can mean for audiences watching at home.
She is competing on the 2026 series with professional dancer Nancy Xu, with the pair in a same-sex couple.
Speaking to Radio Times before the launch of this year’s Strictly, Antonia explained that it was watching Nicola Adams dance with Katya Jones that made her hopeful she’d also get a same-sex couple.
She said: “It was a huge part of watching people in my family accept this beautiful show that we’d watched for years and years and years, and see this new way of the girls doing it together, and then being so accepting and exciting about it made me feel proud.”
“It was a thing that I talked into existence, so it feels like a real privilege.”
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