Viewers of the unofficial Strictly Come Dancing spoiler site have reacted angrily after the mole behind it added adverts, with some vowing never to use the service again after a decade of leaks.
The mole, previously identified by the Mirror as photographer Dave Thorp, has run the site since 2012, revealing the dance-off verdict before the pre-filmed results show airs on Sunday night. But today, fans discovered they must now sit through numerous adverts to access the results, prompting a wave of criticism on social media.
“Dave I know you have to make money but this is farcical, have loved your site for 10 yrs but will use another moving forward…a big shame,” one fan wrote. Another added: “Been a fan for years but no longer.” A third X user said: “I can’t see the result just shows the advert over and over so I’m glad people talk about the result in the comments. Not sure what I’m doing wrong but it’s so confusing.”
Why the spoiler site exists
Dave, with assistance from viewers at each episode’s tapings at Elstree Studios, aims to be the first to break the dance-off verdict. He has said he started the venture because he was irritated by the BBC’s pretence that the Sunday evening results programme is broadcast live, when it is actually pre-recorded and stored for Sunday night transmission.
“I'm just a Strictly fan who finds it ludicrous that, in a day and age where information can be transmitted globally in the blink of an eye, the BBC would still think it is a good idea to pre-record the results show of their flagship reality TV show and broadcast it a whole day after the event,” he said. “It is the BBC who make the spoiler possible. If the BBC don't want the result to leak out, there is something very simple they can do to stop it – broadcast the results live.”
Income from the spoiler
Dave reportedly earns a substantial sum from his role. A source claimed in June: “The money Thorp is making from giving away the Strictly results is ridiculous.” They told MailOnline: “He can sometimes earn up to £5,000 a month when the show is airing. On a bad month it's around £3,000, but that's not bad money for simply revealing a result and writing a bit of text around it.”
When asked by a fan on X last month how he makes money the other nine months of the year, Dave responded: “I make enough in 3 months to last me the year.”
Anton Du Beke’s criticism
Judge Anton Du Beke has also expressed his annoyance at the spoiler. “That irritates me. I get irritated, I hate anybody who's a spoiler,” he said in 2023. “I can only think they take great pleasure from it and I just want to say grow up. Don't spoil it for other people.”
Dave has consistently defended his website despite criticism. Speaking to Yahoo News, he said: “I'd say I'm not. I'm spoiling it for those who actually want to know and actually go and seek it out.” He added: “There are some people out there that will just put it out on social media and I don't agree with that. So I think people should have a choice if they want to see the spoiler. Brilliant. If they don't want to and want to watch the result show that is also good.”
