Adam Rippon hopes for a 'same sex' season of 'DWTS'

Adam Rippon, Jenna Johnson (ABC/Craig Sjodin) (ABC)

"Dancing with the Stars" producers have shaken up the show by making it a shortened season this spring focusing on athletes only.

When Fox News asked dance pro Gleb Savchenko (who was eliminated with basketball star partner Arike Ogunbowale on Monday night) what other themes he might like to see in the future, he said a same sex season in which the male pros would dance with famous men and the female pros with women celebrities.

And it's an idea enthusiastically endorsed by openly-gay ice skater Adam Rippon.

Rippon, who is a frontrunner with pro Jenna Johnson on "DWTS: Athletes," told reporters after Monday night's second week of competition about same sex dancing, "I think that would be awesome. Yeah, so cool."

The rink star who thrilled fans with his spellbinding performances at the Winter Olympics in February, also revealed he's already done same-sex ballroom dancing—with Johnson's boyfriend and fellow "DWTS" pro, Val Chmerkovskiy!

"I've actually gotten to dance with Val a little bit. Now that I have the skills, I'm going to literally dance with anybody and everything!" Rippon said.

He added about rehearsals, "When I dance with Val, he's definitely showing me which direction to go, and when I dance with Jenna, I'm pretending I am 'cause she's really leading me throughout the whole thing!"

The ice skater and his partner looked like hot mirror ball trophy contenders again on Monday evening's live show. Johnson's beau and past "DWTS" winner Chmerkovskiy is taking this season off but cheering on his girlfriend and Rippon.

Meanwhile, Rippon's close friend and fellow ice skater Mirai Nagasu, who is also succeeding on "DWTS" this season, told reporters she would welcome a same-sex version, noting, "I would watch that season with a vengeance. I would be super into it."

Dancer Sharna Burgess, who competes with football player Josh Norman on the "Athletes," also is on board, saying, "I think that [idea's] incredible. Same sex ballroom dancing is a very real competition and it's fantastic, what is out there and the talent and I think we're missing out on that and hopefully we're one of the first 'DWTS' of the world to do it 'cause 'DWTS' is in over a hundred countries."

Burgess said her dream partner would be an Australian model and former MTV VJ: "If I had to dance with a girl, Ruby Rose! She's an amazing talented Aussie," as Burgess is, too.