Strictly Come Dancing viewers are convinced they have identified who briefly stood in for Shirley Ballas during the latest results show, after the head judge appeared to execute backflips and cartwheels across the BBC ballroom floor.
The moment came during a special group performance on Sunday night (October 11), in which Shirley and Anton Du Beke took to the floor as two teams of professional dancers went head-to-head in a Ballroom vs Latin showdown. Anton sang Arctic Monkeys' 2006 hit, I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor, while Shirley seemed to show off a series of tricks.
Fans spot the stunt double
As the performance unfolded, it became clear that the head judge had a stunt double, and viewers believe they know who it was. Many pointed to professional dancer Alexis Warr as the person wearing a wig and performing the flips.
On social media, @strictlylex said: "They said stick a wig on Alexis and have her keep flipping so we never see her face #strictly." @lexfortezas commented: "GET IT ALEXIS." @RyanSoapKing25 posted: "Lol was that Alexis doing the cartwheel? I had to double-take and thought it was Shirley at first."
Shirley's age leaves viewers stunned
Other viewers were simply amazed by the spectacle. @ca1usx wrote: "DID SHIRLEY BALLAS JUST BACKFLIP INTO A WORM OMG I LOVE THIS SHOW #Strictly #StrictlyComeDancing." @Emmy25171095 shared: "Omg! Was this Shirley Ballas or a stunt double !!? She's 66, people! Incredible #strictly #strictlycomedancing #slay #shirley." @artbecomesyou added: "Wait a damn minute… Shirley Ballas busting out these moves was not on my bingo card #StrictlyComeDancing #strictly."
The results show also saw Melanie Walters become the second celebrity eliminated from the 2026 series, alongside her professional partner Aljaz Skorjanec, after they faced former footballer Shaun Wright-Phillips and his partner Alexis Warr in the dance-off. Delta Doodrem and Kai Widdrington, who topped the leaderboard for a second week running, made it safely through to week four, which is Icons Week and takes place on Saturday (October 17).
