Nicola Adams hailed as a ‘trailblazer’ following Strictly Come Dancing launch

Nicola Adams has been hailed as a “trailblazer” following her groundbreaking performance as part of an all-female pairing in Strictly Come Dancing.

The Olympic gold medallist, who has previously been credited with massively boosting the profile of women’s boxing, became the first celebrity to perform in a same-sex couple on the BBC One programme on Saturday.

She performed alongside her partner Katya Jones in a group routine.

Adams was praised online after her performance.

Actress Frances Barber tweeted: “I simply adore Nicola Adams.”

Comedian Suzi Ruffell showed her support for the former sportswoman by tweeting to say she is “team Nicola”.

Another Twitter user wrote: “Nicola Adams is such a boss – trailblazer, elite athlete, dude.”

During the programme, judge Craig Revel Horwood said he was particularly excited about watching Adams and Jones.

“It is the first time a pro girl has the opportunity to actually lead the dance, which is really exciting for Katya obviously, because she’s had to drag a lot of people around before and pretend not to lead,” he said.

“But I think this is going to be a sensational partnership, I really do.”

During the programme, Adams tweeted to say she was “so excited to finally announce my partner Katya Jones”.

“I couldn’t have been paired with a better partner than a fellow champ in her own right and I can’t wait to see what creative dance routines Katya comes up with,” she added.