Former Strictly Come Dancing professional Oti Mabuse and her husband, fellow dancer Marius Iepure, have criticised the amount of talking on the BBC show, saying there are too many questions and that judges speak for too long.
The couple shared their verdict on the latest episode, which saw Shaun Wright-Phillips and Jaime Winstone land in the bottom two. After their second performances, Jaime and her professional partner Carlos Gu were saved by three of the judges, ending Shaun's time on the competition.
Complaints about talking and questions
Speaking on her podcast, The Fifth Judge, Marius described the programme as "a very good" and "very entertaining" show overall, but said some elements could have been improved.
"Unfortunately the mistakes I think were a little bit holding back and some of the songs, but the judges were brilliant, the presenters were brilliant, I think it was a good show," he said. "A little bit too much comment, too many questions, too much 'let's talk about [this], it was a little bit much."
Agreeing with her husband, Oti, whose sister Motsi Mabuse is one of the show's judges, said the feedback segments were taking up too much time. "There was a lot of talking. I think the judges get to talk way too long for me," she said.
Praise for Johannes Radebe
Oti questioned the format of the presenters' questions, noting that Emma Willis and Josh Widdicombe each ask questions to the celebrities and professionals, and that Johannes Radebe also asks questions in his role.
"I don't understand why that whole section is just not Jojo because he's doing a great job. He can ask all four questions by himself, that's his job," she added.
The couple agreed that Johannes would be well suited to taking charge of the questions, given his experience as a dancer and former professional on the show. Oti praised his "sweet and endearing" approach when speaking to the couples, saying he is particularly good at lifting their spirits after they receive criticism from the judges.
Judges' opening dance criticised
The pair also criticised the judges' opening dance, with Marius suggesting it should be "binned". Motsi, Shirley Ballas, Anton Du Beke and Craig Revel Horwood perform a brief routine after being introduced at the start of the show.
Oti, who is currently a judge on RTÉ's Dancing with the Stars, said she viewed the opportunity to perform in this way as "a privilege", explaining that she did not have time to do something similar on the Irish version of the programme.
The remaining celebrities will return to the ballroom tonight as they compete to secure their place in the next round. Strictly Come Dancing: Halloween Special airs tonight at 6.30pm on BBC One.
