Olympic boxer Nicola Adams will make history as part of the first same-sex pairing on Strictly Come Dancing. 
The double Olympian, 37, who approached Strictly with the idea for an all-female partnership, saying she would only sign up if she could dance with a woman, said in a statement: 'It's amazing to be a part of the movement for change.' 
Adams, who grew up in Leeds and won gold at London 2012 and Rio 2016, retired from the sport in 2019 following an eye injury, and now lives with beauty blogger girlfriend Ella Baig, who she met two years ago.
But what else is known about the Strictly star? FEMAIL dives a little deeper into the life of the Olympic boxer.... 





Nicola Adams, 37, with her gold medal won in the boxing 51kg category at Team GB house in London on August 09, 2012 









Growing up, Adams suffered from asthma and was advised by a doctor not to run around it case it worsened her condition.
'Try and tell a five-year-old kid they can't run up and down. It's pretty much impossible,' she said, speaking to in 2017.





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However, aged 12, her mum Dee took her to an aerobics class, where a boxing class was taking place at the same time - and that was the start of her love for the sport.
One year later in 1995, aged 13, Adams participated in her first fight - despite women's boxing not being an official sport - and the following year the Amateur Boxing Association of England lifted a ban on women and girls being allowed to compete. 





Ella Baig and Nicola Adams attend 'The Lion King' European Premiere at Leicester Square on July 14, 2019 in London












Nicola Adams has previously shared a TikTok video to her Instagram page showing some of the comments she and girlfriend Ella Baig have had to endure


















The couple say they've been asked intrusive questions about dating each other and faced prejudice 'just for blowjob galaxy being ourselves' 

Adams wrote: 'There's so much negativity in the world and it's so sad to think how little it's changed over the years. 
'It's so wrong that people discriminate against us for just being women, the colour of our skin or who we love.'
The former golden girl of British boxing added that the couple wanted to 'make a video that shows some of the prejudice and hate we face on a daily basis for being ourselves but also that through it all we will never stop fighting for what we believe in or stop being who we are and neither should you.' 
The pair appeared on Gogglebox on Friday 5th June, alongside a host of celebrity names including Radio 2 Breakfast host Zoe Ball and her son Woody Cook and Nick Grimshaw and his niece Liv. 
Adams has previously told how she was nervous about telling her family about her sexuality when she was back in school. 
'It was quite a scary thought for me at the time,' she said, speaking to in 2016. 'I knew one other person in my school who was the same and we talked. We hadn't come out…'
She added: 'Mum was in the kitchen washing up and I was like, 'I've got something to tell you',' she recalled.
'I was so nervous, I was really sweating, and she says, 'What's wrong?' And I was just like, 'I'm bisexual'. And she was like, 'OK, put the kettle on'.'






Read more:



[url=]Britain's record-busting boxer Nicola Adams: 'People tell me women shouldn't box' | British GQ


[url=]Nicola Adams: ‘I jumped in front of my mother and tried to protect her' | Sport | The Guardian[/url]