Strictly Come Dancing judge Shirley Ballas sparked backlash from viewers during Saturday night's Halloween Week (October 31), with fans questioning her scoring and comments to the celebrities.
The hit BBC series returned to screens with Emma Willis, Johannes Radebe and Josh Widdicombe hosting the spooky-themed episode. Last week, Shaun Wright-Phillips and Alexis Warr became the fourth couple to leave the competition after losing to Jaime Winstone and Carlos Gu in the dance-off. The remaining couples performed to impress judges Shirley Ballas, Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, and Anton Du Beke.
Fans Question the Scores
During the programme, Shirley critiqued Delta Goodrem's Viennese Waltz and Tabby Stoecker's Quickstep, which she scored a five. The scoring prompted a wave of criticism on social media.
"Is Shirley ok tonight? Giving Tabby a 5 for that dance. It was clearly way better than a 5. She needs to get out of her mood, ruining the vibe of the show," one person fumed on X.
Another added: "Shirley being harsh on Delta and Tabby but giving John stupid amounts of praise?" A third said: "A FIVE?! Shirley, I am stealing that five panel from you. IT'S BEEN OUT TOO MUCH, AND IT'S UNFAIR EVERY TIME."
Halloween Results Show Changes
Someone else echoed the sentiment, saying: "There is no way Tabby's Quickstep was a 5." Another fan called the scoring "truly ridiculous," while another wrote, "FIVE??? IS SHIRELY ALRIGHT??"
For the first time in Strictly history, the Halloween results show will feature a triple dance-off. Three couples will go head-to-head before the judges have their say. Instead of voting for who they want to save, each judge will reveal which couple they want to be eliminated.
The professionals will also perform a Halloween group routine to Dracula by Tame Impala. The routine opens at a drive-in movie theatre, where Alexis Warr and Nikita Kuzmin are on a first date, before it takes a terrifying turn when it's revealed that Nikita is a vampire. The dance will feature a vocal cameo from Sir Ian McKellen, who has recorded an extract from Bram Stoker's Dracula to be heard at the end of the routine.
