Shirley Ballas has broken her silence after being accused of using a “stunt double” during her athletic dance on Strictly Come Dancing. The head judge took part in a pre-recorded special group dance with co-star Anton Du Beke, going head to head in a Ballroom vs Latin showdown that aired on Sunday’s results show.
Ballas, 66, seemingly showed off a slew of tricks, including doing a cartwheel into a backflip, before spinning around on the floor and doing the worm. While many viewers praised her moves, others claimed it was obvious that pro Strictly dancer Alexis Warr had stepped in to perform the flips.
Viewers claim Alexis Warr stepped in
“They said stick a wig on Alexis and have her keep flipping so we never see her face,” one wrote on X and another added: “Lol was that Alexis doing the cartwheel? I had to double-take and thought it was Shirley at first.” Someone else claimed on Instagram: “It was Alexis. I was in the audience when it was filmed.”
Warr has failed to comment on the claims on Instagram and Ballas was equally tight-lipped as she shared a slew of clips from her dance on her own page. The choreographer re-shared Strictly's clip of the end of the dance on her Instagram Story and captioned it: “Step on the floor with us [love heart emoji]. Thank you for the love on this number.”
Ballas responds with 'Gloves are off'
She reshared another clip on her feed and commented, “Gloves are off,” while tagging Du Beke. The controversy comes after reports that Ballas could risk losing her judging role at an international ballroom contest due to her close bond with Italian dancer Giuseppe Nonnis, 33.
Their friendship developed after they danced together in Hong Kong and Blackpool earlier this year and has sparked backlash from other dancers, the Mail reported. Sources claimed she breached contest rules when she judged Nonnis at last week’s International Championships, one of the world’s most prestigious annual ballroom and Latin dance competitions.
Contest rules under scrutiny
Nonnis performed in the Professional Latin category at the Royal Albert Hall event. Ballas previously scored him highly at the UK Open Dance Festival just months before they grew closer, insiders claimed. A contestant may not enter the competition if a member of their immediate family or the same household is on the judging panel, the rules state.
Nonnis had been staying with Ballas at her home in south-east London when he was in the UK and therefore could fall into this category, The Sun reported. However, a source close to the Strictly judge told the publication Nonnis does not live with her and they do not share a household, meaning their friendship would not breach the rules.
Nonnis was engaged to dancer Daria Chesnokova from 2021 until last year. Chesnokova told The Sun she introduced Ballas to Nonnis and would feel “betrayed” if they were dating. Ballas has been ostensibly single since splitting from her fiance Danny Taylor in 2024. The Standard contacted Ballas’ representative for comment at the time.
