CBBC Praised For Showing Its First Teenage Same-Sex Kiss

CBBC made a groundmark statement when it showed two teenage girls sharing their first kiss in Canadian drama The Next Step.

As expected, the world carried on as normal, but the children's TV programme has been praised for showing a same-sex kiss.

The Next Step follows the stories of dancers who compete as part of a dance studio. During the most recent episode, friends Cleo (played by Dani Verago) and Jude (Molly Sanders) perform together and it becomes obvious that they are more than friends.

BBC

In the show, Jude smiled, saying: "When I dance with Cleo, I forget about everything.

"It's just her. We're dancing together and all I see is her."

Cleo adds in a monologue: "When I dance with Jude, I feel safe and free all at the same time. When we dance together, it's like magic."

They then act on their feelings and share their first kiss:

Speaking to Metro, Eloise Stonborough, Head of Policy and Research at Stonewall, said: "Jude and Cleo's kiss on CBBC's teen drama, The Next Step is an exciting moment for LGBT representation.

"It's important for everyone to be able to see themselves in mainstream media and to know they have a place in society.

"When lesbian, gay, bi and trans people aren't reflected in what they watch, young LGBT people can get the impression that there is something is different or wrong about them.

"Representation can help young LGBT people understand themselves by relating to lesbian, gay, bi and trans characters, and improves understanding of what it means to be lesbian, gay, bi or trans, which helps everyone to be more accepting."

BBC

Fans were quick to praise CBBC.

One viewer wrote on Twitter: "YES! I'm so proud of how far The Next Step has come and how it's helped pioneer CBBC."

Another said: "I clapped when it happened. Well done CBBC and The Next Step! This is what progression looks like."

A BBC Spokesperson said: "CBBC is proud to reflect all areas of children's lives, including age appropriate representation of same sex relationships, across our factual and fictional output."

Topics: UK News, TV and Film, UK Entertainment

Amelia Ward

Amelia is a journalist at LADbible. After studying journalism at Liverpool John Moores and Salford Uni (don't ask), she went into PR and then the world of music. She spent a few years working on festivals and events before joining LADbible. In her spare time, Amelia likes music and spending good, quality time with her cat, Paul. You can contact Amelia at [email protected].

@ameliasward