Strictly Come Dancing fans are turning on the unofficial spoiler site after its operator, photographer Dave Thorp, added adverts that viewers must sit through before seeing the result. Some long-time users say they will stop visiting the site after a decade of loyal use.
Thorp, who has run the spoiler site since 2012, has faced criticism before from BBC bosses and judge Anton Du Beke. But this week, his decision to monetise the site with repeated adverts has sparked a fresh wave of anger among the fans who flock there each week to learn the vote-off result before the pre-recorded results show airs on Sunday night.
Fans hit out at adverts
One disgruntled user wrote: "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." Another said: "Been a fan for years but no longer."
A third complained: "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 exists
Thorp has long explained his motivation for the site, saying he was irritated by the BBC's pretence that the Sunday results programme is broadcast live, when it is actually pre-recorded. "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.
He added: "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 and criticism
Thorp reportedly earns a substantial income from the site. A source told MailOnline in June: "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, Thorp replied: "I make enough in 3 months to last me the year."
Judge Anton Du Beke has also expressed his annoyance at spoilers. "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."
Thorp has defended his site, telling Yahoo News: "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."
