Strictly Come Dancing head judge Shirley Ballas made her debut on ABC's Dancing with the Stars during the Halloween special, and her scoring quickly became the night's talking point. From the start, viewers were split over her presence on the panel, with some praising her expertise and others reacting with gasps to her low marks.
Low Scores Spark Viewer Reactions
Actress Julia Stiles received a four from Ballas, while the other judges awarded sevens and eights. Explaining her critique of the Argentine Tango, Ballas said: "I didn't find that there was much tracing on the floor. I found [the] gauchos too slow, not fast enough. I need sharper, controlled legs. Also, posturally, it wasn't quite in the right place."
Her scoring drew immediate responses on X, formerly Twitter. One viewer wrote: "I never want Shirley on my screen again. What a joke of a judge, horrible scoring." Another commented: "I'm sorry I don't wanna see 4s from Shirley Ballas this is supposed to be a fun show we don't take stuff serious in America #dwts."
Fans Defend the Strictly Judge
Others came to Ballas's defence, appreciating her direct approach and calling the other judges "too soft." One fan posted: "SHIRLEY BALLAS GAGGED ME WITH ALL THE 4s, 5s, 7s when the other judges gave 7s to 10s hahahahha good job queen." Another said: "I haven't seen the Dedication Night and last night's episode but I am going on a limb and say Shirley Ballas should be a permanent judge on #DWTS."
A third supporter added: "Y'all cannot blame Shirley for this. She is giving good critiques and is rightfully judging harshly. The problem is the producers giving half the people contemporary/jazz because there's a lot less to criticise and basically everyone gets at least a 7 just for showing up." One fan concluded: "Shirley Ballas taught me more in one episode from her feedback than I've learned this whole season from the other three judges #DWTS."
Ballas on Her Judging Style and Future
Speaking to Prima magazine, Ballas said judging Dancing with the Stars had always been on her "wish list," adding: "It's double duty this year. That was a job I've always wanted. It's been on my wish list." She anticipated a different reception in America, saying: "I feel that Dancing With The Stars will be a slightly different audience. I think I can probably be more strict. It's going to be very interesting."
She confirmed she is not leaving Strictly Come Dancing despite speculation. In an interview with Good Morning America, she explained her scoring: "I always believe that whatever's in my heart, I have to put forward. There is always a place for somebody to grow. So if you are giving out 10s every week, where are they going to grow to? So I like to give them hope and to also give them a good understanding about the level to my experienced eye."
Addressing the fours, she said: "A four for me is a great score, when they get a four or a five in England they are like 'Yay!', I could obviously tell here though that four was a paddle you are definitely not used to seeing. But it is what it is and I have to sleep with myself at the end of the day, so I always do things fair and try to be the best version of myself that I can for people."
